Reciprocity between phase shifts and amplitude changes in the mammalian circadian clock.

Circadian rhythms help organisms adapt to predictable daily changes in their environment. Light resets the phase of the underlying oscillator to maintain the organism in sync with its surroundings. Light also affects the amplitude of overt rhythms.

Systems biology of circadian rhythms: an outlook.

The circadian system in higher organisms temporally orchestrates rhythmic changes in a vast number of genes and gene products in different organs. Complex interactions between these components, both within and among cells, ultimately lead to rhythmic behavior and physiology. Identifying the plethora of circadian targets and mapping their interactions with one another is therefore essential to comprehend the molecular mechanisms of circadian regulation.

Repression of transcription by TSGA/Jmjd1a, a novel interaction partner of the ETS protein ER71.

Testis-specific gene A (TSGA) was originally identified in rat and shown to be expressed within the testes. Here, we have cloned the murine homolog [also known as jumonji domain-containing 1a (Jmjd1a)] and for the first time characterized the TSGA protein and its functions. Although murine TSGA is expressed in testes, its mRNA is also present in many other tissues, including heart, thymus, liver, and skin.

Cloning of the murine ER71 gene (Etsrp71) and initial characterization of its promoter.

The ER71 protein belongs to the ETS transcription factor family and is testis-specifically expressed in adult mice. Here we describe the cloning of the respective Etsrp71 gene and promoter. The murine Etsrp71 gene is relatively compact, spanning 3 kb, and is arranged into seven exons and six introns, the majority of which are highly conserved in rat and human.

Functional analysis of the transcription factor ER71 and its activation of the matrix metalloproteinase-1 promoter.

The ETS transcription factor family is characterized by a conserved ETS DNA-binding domain and its members have been implicated in a plethora of biological processes, including development, cell transformation and metastasis. ER71 is a testis-specific ETS protein that is not homologous to any other protein outside its ETS domain, suggesting that it fulfills a unique physiological role. Here, we report that ER71 is a constitutively nuclear protein whose intracellular localization is dependent on a portion of the ETS domain, namely ER71 amino acids 276-315.