• PMID: 11842224
• Gene Name: STYX
• Condition: Male infertility because of structural head abnormalities in residual epididymal sperm
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Male infertility because of structural head abnormalities in residual epididymal sperm

The archetype STYX/dead-phosphatase complexes with a spermatid mRNA-binding protein and is essential for normal sperm production

Wishart MJ, Dixon JE.

Differentiation of spermatids into spermatozoa is regulated via phosphorylated RNA-binding proteins that modulate the expression of stage-specific mRNAs. We demonstrate that the phosphoserine, -threonine or -tyrosine, interaction protein, Styx, complexes with a testicular RNA-binding protein and is essential for normal spermiogenesis. Ablation of Styx expression in mouse disrupts round and elongating spermatid development, resulting in a >1,000-fold decrease in spermatozoa production. Moreover, Styx(-/-) males are infertile because of structural head abnormalities in residual epididymal sperm. Immunoprecipitation of Styx with Crhsp-24, a phosphorylated RNA-binding protein implicated in translational repression of histone mRNAs, provides a strategy for regulating posttranscriptional gene expression. FAU - Wishart, Matthew J AU - Wishart MJ AD - Life Sciences Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.