Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2 stabilizes phosphoglycerate kinase 2 mRNA in murine male germ cells by binding to its 3'UTR
Xu, M.; Hecht, N.B.
Biology of Reproduction 76(6): 1025-1033
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0006-3363 PMID: 17329592 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.060079
Accession: 013793737
The mRNA that encodes the testis-specific protein phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK2) is a long-lived mRNA that is transcribed in meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells. Pgk2 mRNA is present in germ cells for up to 2 wk before its protein product is detected. Using affinity chromatography with the 3'-UTR of the Pgk2 mRNA, several proteins, including the RNA-binding protein, polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2 (PTBP2), were identified in mouse testis extracts. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that PTBP2 binds to Pgk2 mRNA in the testis and RNA gel shifts demonstrated that PTBP2, but not PTBP1, binds to a specific region of the Pgk2 3'-UTR. Recombinant PTBP2 increased the stability of reporter constructs that contained the 3'-UTR Pgk2 sequence element in both testis extracts and transfected HeLa cells. We propose that PTBP2 is a trans-acting factor that helps to stabilize Pgk2 mRNA in male mouse germ cells.