Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations
Volume 25, Issue 2 , Pages 141-146, March 2007

Testis-specific protein Y-encoded gene is expressed in early and late stages of gonadoblastoma and testicular carcinoma in situ☆

  • Yunmin Li, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
    • ,
  • Eric Vilain, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7088, USA
    • ,
  • Felix Conte, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0136, USA
    • ,
  • Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
    • ,
  • Yun-Fai Chris Lau, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1-415-379-5526; fax: +1-415-750-6633.

Received 31 March 2006; received in revised form 31 July 2006; accepted 1 August 2006.

Abstract 

The testis-specific protein Y-encoded gene (TSPY) is a tandem repeat gene located at the critical region for the gonadoblastoma locus on Y chromosome that predisposes the dysgenetic gonads of intersex individuals to oncogenesis. The expression and molecular properties of TSPY suggest that it is the putative gene for the gonadoblastoma locus on Y chromosome. In this study, we examined the expression of TSPY and other germ cell tumor markers in 4 cases of gonadoblastoma using immunostaining techniques. Our results showed that TSPY expression was closely associated with initiation and various stages of gonadoblastoma development. TSPY protein localized with established germ cell tumor markers, such as the placental alkaline phosphatase, c-KIT, and OCT3/4, in the same tumor cells of both gonadoblastoma and adjacent carcinoma in situ, the precursor for germ cell tumors. These findings support the candidacy of TSPY as the gene for the gonadoblastoma locus on Y chromosome and suggest that TSPY could be a significant marker for these types of germ cell tumors.

Keywords: Y chromosome, Gonadoblastoma, Carcinoma in situ, TSPY, Gonadoblastoma locus on Y chromosome

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☆ This work was partially supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense Research Program on Prostate Cancer, and the VA Merit Research Program (Y.-F.C.L). Dr. Lau is a Research Career Scientist of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PII: S1078-1439(06)00166-9

doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2006.08.002

Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations
Volume 25, Issue 2 , Pages 141-146, March 2007

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