Zhou Zuomin

Molecular cloning, identification and characteristics of NYD-SP9: Gene coding protein kinase presumably involved in spermatogenesis

Using cDNA microarray hybridization from a human testicular cDNA library, one gene exhibiting ten-fold difference at expression level between adult and embryo human testes was cloned and named NYD-SP9, which was believed to be involved in spermatogenesis. Southern blot hybridization results showed that NYD-SP9 expressed highly in testis but low in ovary. Protein motif analysis of this cDNA sequence revealed a cluster of phosphorylation sites, indicating its potential involvement in signal pathways during spermatogenesis. Furthermore, one transmembrane helix was predicted in N-terminal region, indicating that putative NYD-SP6 may be served as a transmembrane protein. The proximity of these potential phosphorylation sites to each other indicates that there may be interaction among these sites to regulate spermatogenesis. These findings suggested that protein kinase NYD-SP9 might play a role in male germ cell differentiation.