| First Author | Oyama T | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | Dev Cell | Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 188-200 |
| PubMed ID | 24176642 | Mgi Jnum | J:205038 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5543946 | Doi | 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.09.025 |
| Citation | Oyama T, et al. (2013) Cleavage of TFIIA by Taspase1 activates TRF2-specified mammalian male germ cell programs. Dev Cell 27(2):188-200 |
| abstractText | The evolution of tissue-specific general transcription factors (GTFs), such as testis-specific TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2), enables the spatiotemporal expression of highly specialized genetic programs. Taspase1 is a protease that cleaves nuclear factors MLL1, MLL2, TFIIAalpha-beta, and ALFalpha-beta (TFIIAtau). Here, we demonstrate that Taspase1-mediated processing of TFIIAalpha-beta drives mammalian spermatogenesis. Both Taspase1(-/-) and noncleavable TFIIAalpha-betanc/nc testes release immature germ cells with impaired transcription of Transition proteins (Tnp) and Protamines (Prm), exhibiting chromatin compaction defects and recapitulating those observed with TRF2(-/-) testes. Although the unprocessed TFIIA still complexes with TRF2, this complex is impaired in targeting and thus activating Tnp1 and Prm1 promoters. The current study presents a paradigm in which a protease (Taspase1) cleaves a ubiquitously expressed GTF (TFIIA) to enable tissue-specific (testis) transcription, meeting the demand for sophisticated regulation of distinct subsets of genes in higher organisms. |
