Identification and sequence analysis of a new member of the mouse HSP70 gene family and characterization of its unique cellular and developmental pattern of expression in the male germ line

A unique member of the mouse HSP70 gene family has been isolated and characterized with respect to its DNA sequence organization and expression. The gene contains extensive similarity to a heat shock-inducible HSP70 gene within the coding region but diverges in both 3' and 5' nontranslated regions. The gene does not yield transcripts in response to heat shock in mouse L cells. Rather, the gene appears to be activated uniquely in the male germ line. Analysis of RNA from different developmental stages and from enriched populations of spermatogenic cells revealed that this gene is expressed during the prophase stage of meiosis. A transcript different in size from the major heat-inducible mouse transcripts is most abundant in meiotic prophase spermatocytes and decreases in abundance in postmeiotic stages of spermatogenesis. This pattern of expression is distinct from that observed for another member of this gene family, which was previously shown to be expressed abundantly in postmeiotic germ cells. These observations suggest that specific HSP70 gene family members play distinct roles in the differentiation of the germ cell lineage in mammals.