Absolute mRNA levels and transcriptional regulation of the mouse testis-specific thioredoxins

Thioredoxins function as general protein disulphide reductases. Mammalian male germ cells are equipped with a set of three testis-specific thioredoxins (named Sptrx-1, -2, and -3, respectively) that are expressed either in different structures within the sperm cell or at different stages of sperm development. Previous studies based on qualitative northern-blot and in situ hybridization analyses restricted the presence of Sptrx mRNAs to adult testis, but nothing is known about their transcriptional regulation or relative expression levels in this tissue. In this report, we investigate the transcriptional profiles of the mouse Sptrx genes in terms of the germ cell-specific regulation by promoter analysis in GC-2spd(ts) cells. Besides, we perform a comprehensive quantification of the Sptrx mRNA molecules by real-time PCR in whole-animal experiments. By these means, we show that transcription is differentially regulated for each Sptrx gene and identify the 5′-flanking regions anticipated to contain the cis-regulatory elements responsible, at least in part, for the transcriptional silencing and/or activation of the Sptrx genes. In addition, we show remarkable age-associated variations between the Sptrx mRNA expression patterns.