Regulation of CATSPER1 expression by the testis-determining gene SRY.

CATSPER1 gene encodes a pore-forming and pH-sensing subunit of the CatSper Ca2+- permeable channel, a protein in the flagellum essential for sperm hyperactivation. Previous studies have shown that the murine Catsper1 gene promoter is regulated by different Sox proteins. Likewise, it is acknowledged that the human CATSPER1 gene promoter sequence is enriched in potential interaction sites for the sex-determining region Y gene (SRY), which suggest a novel regulatory transcriptional mechanism for CatSper1 channel expression.

Molecular cloning and analysis of the Catsper1 gene promoter.

CatSper channels are essential for hyperactivity of sperm flagellum, progesterone-mediated chemotaxis and oocyte fertilization. Catsper genes are exclusively expressed in the testis during spermatogenesis, but the function and regulation of the corresponding promoter regions are unknown. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of the promoter regions in the human and murine Catsper1 genes.