PMID- 10369865
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19990816
LR  - 20190513
IS  - 0964-6906 (Print)
IS  - 0964-6906 (Linking)
VI  - 8
IP  - 7
DP  - 1999 Jul
TI  - New gene family defined by MORC, a nuclear protein required for mouse
      spermatogenesis.
PG  - 1201-7
AB  - Mammalian spermatogenesis is a complex developmental process. The analysis of
      mouse mutations has provided insight into biochemical pathways required for
      completion of this process. We previously described the autosomal recessive mouse
      morc TgN(Tyr)1Az(microrchidia) mutation, a serendipitous transgenic insertional
      mutation which causes arrest of spermatogenesis prior to the pachytene stage of
      meiosis prophase I. We now report the molecular characterization of the morc
      locus and positional cloning of a gene disrupted by the morc TgN(Tyr)1Az
      mutation. This gene, which we term Morc, encodes a 108 kDa protein expressed
      specifically in male germ cells. The transgene integrated within the first intron
      of Morc and was accompanied by an intragenic deletion of approximately 13 kb of
      genomic sequences, removing exons 2-4 and abrogating expression of the wild-type 
      transcript. Analysis of the MORC protein sequence revealed putative nuclear
      localization signals, two predicted coiled-coil structural motifs and limited
      homology to GHL (GyraseB, Hsp90, MutL) ATPase. Epitope-tagged MORC protein
      expressed in COS7 cells localized to the nucleus. We also cloned the human MORC
      homolog and show that it too is testis-specific, but closely related human genes 
      are transcribed in multiple somatic tissues. Homologous proteins are also present
      in zebrafish, nematodes, slime mold and plants. Thus, cloning of Morc defines a
      novel gene family whose members are likely to serve important biological
      functions in both meiotic and mitotic cells of multicellular organisms.
FAU - Inoue, N
AU  - Inoue N
AD  - Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas
      Southwestern Medical School, Dallas 75235, USA.
FAU - Hess, K D
AU  - Hess KD
FAU - Moreadith, R W
AU  - Moreadith RW
FAU - Richardson, L L
AU  - Richardson LL
FAU - Handel, M A
AU  - Handel MA
FAU - Watson, M L
AU  - Watson ML
FAU - Zinn, A R
AU  - Zinn AR
LA  - eng
SI  - GENBANK/AF004542
SI  - GENBANK/AF084945
SI  - GENBANK/AF084946
GR  - HD31376/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
PL  - England
TA  - Hum Mol Genet
JT  - Human molecular genetics
JID - 9208958
RN  - 0 (MORC1 protein, human)
RN  - 0 (Morc1 protein, mouse)
RN  - 0 (Nuclear Proteins)
SB  - IM
MH  - Amino Acid Sequence
MH  - Animals
MH  - Cloning, Molecular
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Mice
MH  - Molecular Sequence Data
MH  - Nuclear Proteins/*genetics/physiology
MH  - Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
MH  - Spermatocytes/metabolism
MH  - Spermatogenesis/*physiology
EDAT- 1999/06/17 00:00
MHDA- 1999/06/17 00:01
CRDT- 1999/06/17 00:00
PHST- 1999/06/17 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1999/06/17 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1999/06/17 00:00 [entrez]
AID - ddc134 [pii]
AID - 10.1093/hmg/8.7.1201 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Hum Mol Genet. 1999 Jul;8(7):1201-7. doi: 10.1093/hmg/8.7.1201.