Marsupial WT1 has a novel isoform and is expressed in both somatic and germ cells in the developing ovary and testis

Abstract

The Wilms' tumour 1 gene is essential for the formation of the mouse and human urogenital systems. We characterised this gene and examined its expression throughout gonadal development in a marsupial, the tammar wallaby. WT1 protein was detected in the Sertoli and granulosa cells of the developing testis and ovary, respectively. There was also strong immunostaining in the germ cells of both males and females at all stages of gonadal development. In the adult gonads WT1 appears to be dynamically regulated during spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Tammar WT1 has a novel isoform in which a portion of exon 1 is removed, partially deleting the RNA recognition motif (RRM). Despite its removal, WT1 sti..