The mouse Y chromosome interval necessary for spermatogonial proliferation is gene dense with syntenic homology to the human AZFa region

Abstract

The ΔSxrb deletion interval of the mouse Y chromosome contains Spy, a spermatogenesis factor gene(s) whose expression is essential for the postnatal development of the mitotic germ cells, spermatogonia. The boundaries of ΔSxrb are defined by the duplicated genes Zfy1 and Zfy2 and four further genes have previously been mapped within the interval: Ube1y and Smcy, linked with Zfy1 on a contig of 250 kb, and Dffry and Uty, which were unanchored. The interval was estimated to be > 450 kb. In order to identify any further gene(s) that may underlie Spy, systematic exon trapping was performed on an extended contig, anchored on Zfy1, which covers 750 kb of the ΔSxrb interval. Exons from two novel genes were isolated and placed together with Dffry and Uty on the contig in the order Dffry-Dby-Uty-Tspy-Eif2γy-Smcy -Ube1y-Zfy1. All the genes, with the double exception of Tspy, are X-Y homologous and produce putatively functional, spliced transcripts. The tight linkage and order of Dffry, Dby and Uty was shown to be conserved in deletion intervals 5C/5D of the human Y chromosome by the construction of a contig of human PAC and YAC clones; this represents the first example of syntenic homology between Y chromosomes from two distinct mammalian orders. Interval 5C/5D contains the distal boundary of the AZFa interval, which, like ΔSxrb, is believed to be necessary for spermatogonial development in the prepubertal testis. Our results therefore show that AZFa and Spy may be encoded by homologous genes.