Ornithine decarboxylase antizyme Oaz3 modulates protein phosphatase activity.

ABSTRACT: Ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 3 (Oaz3) is expressed in spermatids, makes up the antizyme family of Oaz genes with Oaz1 and Oaz2, and was proposed to encode a 22 kDa antizyme protein involved in polyamine regulation similar to the 22 kDa OAZ1 and OAZ2 proteins. Here we demonstrate however that the major product encoded by Oaz3 is a 12 kDa protein, p12, which lacks the antizyme domain that interacts with ornithine decarboxylase. We show that p12 does not affect ornithine decarboxylase levels, providing an explanation for the surprising observation made in Oaz3 knock-out male mice, which do not display altered testis polyamine metabolism. This suggested a novel activity for Oaz3 p12. Using immuno-electron microscopy we localized p12 to two structures in the mammalian sperm tail, viz. the o

SUBMITTER: Ruan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3156769 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature