Cloning and Characterization of Zebra Fish SPATA4 Gene and Analysis of Its Gonad Specific Expression

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Shangfeng Liu^1,2, Bowen Liu¹, Shan He¹, Ying Zhao¹, and Zhao Wang^1,2*

¹Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China; fax: +86-10-62772240; E-mail: liusf@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; lbw@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn; hes@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn; y-zhao02@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn

²Medical School, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; E-mail: zwang@tsinghua.edu.cn

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received November 23, 2004

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The spermatogenesis associated 4 gene (SPATA4, previously named TSARG2) was first cloned in human tissues and was reported to be a candidate spermatocyte apoptosis-related gene that is expressed specifically in testis. Analysis of SPATA4 expression and regulation in zebra fish may provide insight into the understanding of the complicated process of gonadogenesis. In this study, we cloned and characterized the SPATA4 gene from zebra fish (Danio rerio), which is homologous to human and mouse SPATA4. Zebra fish SPATA4 consists of six exons separated by five introns, as all SPATA4 genes in vertebrates. A promoter region was predicted using homologous blast and cloned for further study, and possible transcription factors were analyzed in this region. The putative protein encoded by this gene was analyzed using bioinformatics methods. Multi-tissue RT-PCR results demonstrated that the zebra fish SPATA4 gene is expressed specifically in testis and slightly in ovary. Analysis of the SPATA4 sequence and its spatial expression pattern indicate that this gene is highly conserved and may play an important role in the process of zebra fish gonadogenesis.

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KEY WORDS: bioinformatics, gonad-specific expression, SPATA4, zebra fish, testis/ovary

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