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Novel vasopressin gene-related transcripts in rat testis
1Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Molecular Endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.)
|May 1, 1991
Summary
Testicular arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene expression differs from the hypothalamus. Distinct AVP transcripts in the testis, lacking exon A, cannot produce AVP, suggesting alternative origins for testicular irAVP.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene expression is primarily in hypothalamic neurons.
- Immunoreactive AVP (irAVP) is also found in peripheral tissues like the testis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if hypothalamic and testicular ir-AVPs originate from the same or different gene transcripts.
- To characterize the size and composition of testicular AVP gene-related transcripts.
Main Methods:
- Northern blot analysis
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- RNase mapping
- Deadenylation assays
- Exon-specific probes
Main Results:
- The testis contains three distinct AVP gene-related transcripts (0.67, 0.83, and 2.0 kb), differing in size from hypothalamic AVP mRNA (0.81 kb).
- The 0.67- and 0.83-kb testicular transcripts lack exon A (which encodes the AVP peptide) but contain exons B and C.
- The 2.0-kb transcript contains an exon A-related sequence, potentially from an AVP-related gene.
- Differential splicing excluding exon A generates the shorter testicular transcripts.
Conclusions:
- Testicular irAVP cannot be produced from the translation of exon B and C-containing transcripts.
- The origin of testicular irAVP may involve an AVP-related gene or alternative processing pathways.
- AVP exon C probes may identify transcripts unrelated to AVP biosynthesis in the testis.