• PMID: 14667817
• Gene Name: Ssty1
• Condition: Associated with sperm development
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility

A protein encoded by a member of the multicopy Ssty gene family located on the long arm of the mouse Y chromosome is expressed during sperm development

Touré A, Grigoriev V, Mahadevaiah SK, Rattigan A, Ojarikre OA, Burgoyne PS.

Multicopy Y-chromosomal genes in human and mouse have been postulated to play a role in spermatogenesis. The mouse Y long arm (Yq) carries hundreds of supposedly intronless copies of Ssty, for which no protein has hitherto been identified; mice lacking Yq are sterile with grossly abnormal sperm. We have now identified an Ssty-encoded protein (Ssty1) that is expressed in spermatids. The protein is absent from spermatids of mice that lack Yq, but is not reduced in mice with a two-thirds reduction of Ssty copies, implying that most do not produce this protein. Furthermore, no protein was produced by a strongly transcribed intronless Ssty transgene, raising doubts as to the protein-encoding potential of these intronless genes. We have now identified an intron-containing copy that is also present in multiple copies on Yq. One or more intron-containing copies are retained in the Ssty-deficient mice and may be the source of the Ssty1 protein. FAU - Touré, Aminata AU - Touré A AD - Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hil, London, UK. atoure@nimr.mrc.ac.uk FAU - Grigoriev, Vladimir AU - Grigoriev V FAU - Mahadevaiah, Shantha K AU - Mahadevaiah SK FAU - Rattigan, Aine AU - Rattigan A FAU - Ojarikre, Obah A AU - Ojarikre OA