New genes, which provide material for evolutionary innovation, have been extensively studied for many years in animals where it is observed that they commonly show an expression bias for the testis. Thus, the testis is a major source for the generation of new genes in animals. The source tissue for new genes in plants is unclear. Here, we find that new genes in plants show a bias in expression ...

Cancer/Testis Antigens (CTAs) genes are expressed only during spermatogenesis and tumorigenesis. Both processes share common specific metabolic adaptation related to energy supply, with a glucose lactate gradient, leading changes in mitochondrial physiology paralleling CTAs expression. In this review, we address the role of mitochondria (mitoCTAs), by reviewing all published data, assessing put...

The aim of this study is to develop an overview of genetic events during spermatogenesis using a novel, specifically targeted gonadal gene set. Two subtracted cDNA libraries enriched for testis specific and germ cell specific genes were constructed, characterized and sequenced. The combined libraries contain >1905 different genes, the vast majority previously uncharacterized in testis. cDNA mic...

Homeobox genes encode transcription factors which play important roles in the developmental processes of many multicellular organisms. TGIFLX/Y (TGIFLX and TGIFLY) are members of the homeobox superfamily of genes. Their expressions are specifically detected in the human adult testis but their functions are remained to be investigated. In this investigation we cloned full length of TGIFLY cDNA a...

Virtually all testicular germ cell tumours originate from a common precursor, the carcinoma in situ (CIS) cell. The precise nature of the molecular mechanisms leading to CIS remains largely unknown. We performed the first systematic analysis of gene expression in testis with CIS compared to normal testis by the differential display (DDRT-PCR) method, with subsequent analysis by RT-PCR and in si...

A functional role for DNA methylation has been well-established at imprinted loci, which inherit methylation uniparentally, most commonly from the mother via the oocyte. Many CpG islands not associated with imprinting also inherit methylation from the oocyte, although the functional significance of this, and the common features of the genes affected, are unclear. We identify two major subclasse...

Androgen and androgen receptor (AR) play important roles in male spermatogenesis and fertility, yet detailed androgen/AR signals in Sertoli cells remain unclear. To identify AR target genes in Sertoli cells, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of testis between mice lacking AR in Sertoli cells (S-AR(-/y)) and their littermate wild-type (WT) mice. Digital gene expression analysis identified...

Cancer-testis (CT) genes are a group of genes that are potential targets of immunotherapy and candidate epi-drivers participating in the development of cancers. Previous studies mainly focused on protein-coding genes, neglecting long non-coding RNAs with the same expression patterns. In this study, we performed a systematic investigation of cancer-testis long non-coding RNAs (CT-lncRNAs) with m...

Mytilus coruscus is a significant economic species in China’s eastern coastal areas. As dioecious species, it lacks secondary sexual characteristics, which makes difficult for selective breeding. However, limited research carried out on the genetic data regarding reproductive development and gender differentiation. In current study, de novo transcriptome sequencing analyses were used to detect ...