A testis-specific gene encoding a nuclear high-mobility-group box protein located in elongating spermatids.

A cDNA encoding a DNA-binding protein has been isolated by screening a mouse testicular expression cDNA library with a concatemer of a 12-bp putative protein-binding element present in the promoter of the testis-specific gene PGK-2. Sequence analysis of the isolated cDNA indicated the presence of an open reading frame that encodes a protein with two conserved DNA-binding motifs known as the high-mobility-group (HMG) boxes. Northern (RNA) blot analysis demonstrated that expression of the gene is restricted to the postpuberal testis. The DNA-binding activity and sequence specificity of the recombinant HMG protein were confirmed by DNA mobility shift assay using the initial concatemer of the PGK-2 promoter element as a probe as well as the wild-type or mutated versions of the 12-bp element within its natural sequence context. Immunocytochemical staining of adult testis sections with polyclonal antisera recognizing this recombinant HMG protein demonstrated that it is located predominantly in the nuclei of elongated spermatids at steps 9 and 10. These results suggest that this novel HMG box protein gene may be involved in the regulation of gene expression of the haploid male genome. The gene from which the cDNA was derived has been termed testis-specific HMG (tsHMG).