Spermatocyte‐specific expression of the gene for mouse testis‐specific transcription elongation factor S‐II

Abstract

Previously, we characterized a rat cDNA for testisspecific transcription elongation factor S‐II (SII‐T1) (Q. Xu et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3100–3103 (1994)). Here, we isolated a 335‐bp fragment of the cDNA for mouse SII‐T1, and used it to examine the expression of the SII‐T1 gene in the testis by in situ hybridization. The results indicated that the SII‐T1 gene is expressed exclusively in spermatocytes, showing no appreciable expression in spermatogonia, spermatids, or Leydig cells. RTPCR experiments using testis RNA from WI W^v mutant mice also suggested that SII‐T1 is a specific transcription elongation factor essential for spermatogenesis.