Mdes, a mouse homolog of the Drosophila degenerative spermatocyte gene is expressed during mouse spermatogenesis.

A new mouse gene Mdes has been identified, which has a significant sequence homology with a Drosophila gene degenerative spermatocyte (des) that is required for the initiation of meiosis in spermatogenesis. The expression pattern of the Mdes transcript during mouse spermatogenesis is similar to that of the des transcript curing Drosophila spermatogenesis. Based on these results, it is proposed that the products of Mdes and des have a phylogenetically conserved role in vertebrate and invertebrate spermatogenesis.