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PMID: 10766740 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

The mouse homolog of Drosophila Vasa is required for the development of male germ cells.

Genes & development ·Vol. 14 ·No. 7 ·2000-04-01 ·Pages 841-53

Tanaka SS, Toyooka Y, Akasu R, Katoh-Fukui Y, Nakahara Y, Suzuki R, Yokoyama M, Noce T

Abstract

Restricted expression of a mouse Vasa homolog gene (Mvh) expression is first detected in primordial germ cells (PGCs) after colonization of the genital ridges. Subsequently, Mvh is maintained until postmeiotic germ cells are formed. Here, we demonstrate that male mice homozygous for a targeted mutation of Mvh exhibit a reproductive deficiency. Male homozygotes produce no sperm in the testes, where premeiotic germ cells cease differentiation by the zygotene stage and undergo apoptotic death. In addition, the proliferation of PGCs that colonize homozygous male gonads is significantly hampered, and OCT-3/4 expression appears to be reduced. These results indicate that the loss of Mvh function causes a deficiency in the proliferation and differentiation of mouse male germ cells.

MeSH Terms
Aging/physiology Amino Acid Sequence Animals Cell Differentiation Conserved Sequence DEAD-box RNA Helicases Drosophila/genetics,physiology Drosophila Proteins Embryonic and Fetal Development Heterozygote Homozygote Male Meiosis Mice Mice, Knockout RNA Helicases/deficiency,genetics,metabolism Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Spermatozoa/cytology,physiology Stem Cells/cytology,physiology Testis/embryology,growth & development,physiology
Chemicals
Drosophila Proteins Ddx4 protein, mouse vas protein, Drosophila DEAD-box RNA Helicases RNA Helicases
Authors & Affiliations
8 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Tanaka S S
Mitsubishi-Kasei Institute of Life Sciences, Tokyo 194-8511, Japan.
Toyooka Y
Akasu R
Katoh-Fukui Y
Nakahara Y
Suzuki R
Yokoyama M
Noce T
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Article Info
Journal
Genes & development
Abbr.
Genes Dev
ISSN
0890-9369
Published
2000-04-01
Pages
841-53
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8711660
PMCID
PMC316497
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details
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