Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Japan.
FEBS Lett. 2020 Sep;594(18):3020-3031. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.13875. Epub 2020 Jul 14.
Testis-expressed gene 101 (TEX101) is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoprotein essential for sperm fertility and spermatogenesis. TEX101 interacts with lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus K (Ly6k) as well as a disintegrin and metallopeptidase domain 3 (ADAM3). Although these proteins are considered essential for fertility, the associated mechanisms remain uncharacterized. Herein, we determined the crystal structure of human and mouse TEX101, revealing that TEX101 contains two tandem Ly6/uPAR (LU) domains. Detailed structural analyses revealed characteristic surfaces of TEX101 that may be involved in the interactions with other proteins or membranes. These results provide the structural basis for the role of TEX101 in fertilization and could contribute to developing diagnostic methods and treatments for infertility or developing male contraceptives.
睾丸表达基因 101（TEX101）是一种糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定糖蛋白，对于精子的生育力和精子发生至关重要。TEX101 与淋巴细胞抗原 6 复合物、座标 K（Ly6k）以及解整合素和金属蛋白酶域 3（ADAM3）相互作用。尽管这些蛋白质被认为对生育力至关重要，但相关机制仍未被阐明。在此，我们确定了人源和鼠源 TEX101 的晶体结构，揭示了 TEX101 包含两个串联的 Ly6/uPAR（LU）结构域。详细的结构分析揭示了 TEX101 的特征表面，这些表面可能参与与其他蛋白质或膜的相互作用。这些结果为 TEX101 在受精中的作用提供了结构基础，并可能有助于开发不孕不育的诊断方法和治疗方法，或开发男性避孕药。
