Su H, Lau Y F
Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco.
Mol Reprod Dev. 1992 Nov;33(3):252-8. doi: 10.1002/mrd.1080330304.
The zinc finger Y (Zfy) gene is located on the Y chromosome of all placental mammals. Although it is phylogenetically conserved and is expressed in mouse fetal testis, it is not the sex determining Y (Tdy) gene. To address the possible function of the Zfy gene in mice, the distribution of Zfy protein in fetal mice was investigated by immunocytochemical staining using several specific antisera against synthetic peptides of the mouse Zfy protein. Analysis of various fetal tissues at different embryonic stages demonstrated a specific staining only in fetal testis. In particular, reactive protein was initially observed in male fetal gonads at day 11.5 postcoitum (p.c.). The immuno-staining intensified in fetal testes at day 12 and 12.5 p.c., decreased drastically in those at day 13 and 14 p.c. and became undetectable in those at day 15 p.c. and beyond. The reactive molecules were distributed mostly within the seminiferous tubules of the embryonic testis. The present observations confirm the previous findings with RT-PCR analysis and indicate that Zfy or Zfy-like protein is expressed in stage-specific manner during early testis differentiation. Its location in the seminiferous tubules suggests a possible role in early germ cell development.
锌指Y（Zfy）基因位于所有胎盘哺乳动物的Y染色体上。尽管它在系统发育上是保守的，并且在小鼠胎儿睾丸中表达，但它不是性别决定Y（Tdy）基因。为了探讨Zfy基因在小鼠中的可能功能，使用几种针对小鼠Zfy蛋白合成肽的特异性抗血清，通过免疫细胞化学染色研究了Zfy蛋白在胎儿小鼠中的分布。对不同胚胎阶段的各种胎儿组织进行分析，结果显示仅在胎儿睾丸中有特异性染色。特别是，在交配后第11.5天（p.c.）的雄性胎儿性腺中最初观察到反应性蛋白。免疫染色在交配后第12天和12.5天的胎儿睾丸中增强，在第13天和14天的胎儿睾丸中急剧下降，在第15天及以后的胎儿睾丸中无法检测到。反应性分子主要分布在胚胎睾丸的生精小管内。目前的观察结果证实了先前RT-PCR分析的结果，并表明Zfy或Zfy样蛋白在睾丸早期分化过程中以阶段特异性方式表达。其在生精小管中的定位表明它在早期生殖细胞发育中可能发挥作用。
