SG ID

SG00000871 

UniProt Accession

A2A401_MOUSE;A2A401;  

Theoretical PI

9.57  

Molecular Weight

44472 Da  

Genbank Nucleotide ID

AL512584;  

Genbank Protein ID

CAM18168.1; 

Gene Name

Wt1 

Gene Synonyms/Alias

ORFNames=RP23-232D1.2-003 

Protein Name

 

Protein Synonyms/Alias

SubName: Wilms tumor homologSubName: Wilms tumor protein homologFlags: Fragment 

Mus musculus (Mouse) 

10090 

The Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) has been shown to be an essential gene for the formation of the gonads in mice, and it has been implicated in a variety of differentiation processes. WT1 could be involved in the regulation by Sertoli cells of germ cell maturation and possibly in the progression from a mitotic to a meiotic cell cycle.WT1 misexpression could contribute to human glomerulocystic kidney disease. 

The information of related literatures

1. M. K. Rao, J. Pham, J. S. Imam, J. A. MacLean, D. Murali, Y. Furuta, A. P. Sinha-Hikim and M. F. Wilkinson (2006) Tissue-specific RNAi reveals that WT1 expression in nurse cells controls germ cell survival and spermatogenesis. Genes Dev 20(2): 147-52. 

Abstract
Using a novel tissue-specific RNA interference (RNAi) approach that mimics the principle by which naturally occurring microRNAs (miRNA) are made, we demonstrate that the Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) transcription factor has an essential role in spermatogenesis. Mice depleted of WT1 in Sertoli nurse cells suffered from increased germ cell apoptosis, loss of adherens junctions, disregulation of adherence junction-associated genes, and impaired fertility. These effects were recapitulated in transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative form of WT1 in Sertoli cells, demonstrating the validity of our RNAi approach. Our results indicate that the tumor suppressor WT1 promotes Sertoli cell-germ cell signaling events driving spermatogenesis. PMID: [16418481] 

2. K. Del Rio-Tsonis, L. Covarrubias, J. Kent, N. D. Hastie and P. A. Tsonis (1996) Regulation of the Wilms' tumor gene during spermatogenesis. Dev Dyn 207(4): 372-81. 

Abstract
Spermatogenesis is the process by which male germ cells develop and mature, a pathway that includes a transition from a mitotic to a meiotic cell cycle. Throughout this pathway, the germ cells are in close contact with their nurturing cells, the Sertoli cells. Sertoli-germ cell interactions are difficult to study in mammals due to the complex cellular organization of their seminiferous tubules. The urodele amphibian testis, however, provides a unique system to study the process of germ cell maturation; it is organized in a gradient-like cystic structure, in which synchronized germ cells can be found within the same cyst. The Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) has been shown to be an essential gene for the formation of the gonads in mice, and it has been implicated in a variety of differentiation processes. The WT1 gene is thus a good candidate for the study of the differentiation processes involved in the maturation of the male germ cells. By using a probe for the urodele WT1 homologue in in situ hybridization studies, as well as an antibody against the WT1 protein in immunohistochemistry studies, we determined that WT1 gene expression in Sertoli cells depends on the stage of maturation of the associated germ cell. Thus, WT1 mRNA was detected only in Sertoli cells of cysts that contained early spermatogonia. No mRNA expression was observed in cysts containing late spermatogonia, germ cells undergoing meiosis, or germ cells going through spermiogenesis. Immunohistochemistry studies confirmed that WT1 protein was strongly expressed in Sertoli cells associated with early spermatogonia but not in late ones. The protein was also found in Sertoli cells associated with germ cells that undergo the subsequent stages of meiosis and spermiogenesis. These results suggest that WT1 could be involved in the regulation by Sertoli cells of germ cell maturation and possibly in the progression from a mitotic to a meiotic cell cycle. PMID: [8950512] 

3. D. Lahiri, J. R. Dutton, A. Duarte, K. Moorwood, C. F. Graham and A. Ward (2007) Nephropathy and defective spermatogenesis in mice transgenic for a single isoform of the Wilms' tumour suppressor protein, WT1-KTS, together with one disrupted Wt1 allele. Mol Reprod Dev 74(3): 300-11. 

Abstract
The Wilms' tumour suppressor protein, WT1, is a zinc finger protein essential for the development of several organs, including the kidney and gonads. In each of these tissues WT1 is required at multiple stages of development and its persistent expression in podocytes and Sertoli cells suggests WT1 may also have a role in the maintenance of kidney and testis function throughout adult life. Naturally occurring isoforms of WT1 are generated by alternative mRNA splicing. An altered ratio of the splice isoforms WT1-KTS and WT1 + KTS appears to be sufficient to account for the developmental abnormalities (pseudohermaphroditism and nephropathy) characteristic of Frasier syndrome. We show that mice with a transgene encoding WT1-KTS do not differ from their wild-type littermates unless they are also heterozygous for a null mutation at the endogenous Wt1 locus. Animals with both genetic modifications develop proteinuria, together with multiple glomerular cysts, and male infertility. These pathologic changes may be explained as a consequence of altering the WT1 isoform ratio in tissues that express WT1 during adulthood. The results suggest WT1 misexpression could contribute to human glomerulocystic kidney disease. PMID: [16967512] 

Figures for illustrating the function of this protein/gene

Function

 

Subcellular Location

 

Tissue Specificity

 

Gene Ontology

GO ID	GO term	Evidence
GO:0005737	C:cytoplasm	IDA:MGI.
GO:0005634	C:nucleus	IEA:InterPro.
GO:0003690	F:double-stranded DNA binding	IDA:MGI.
GO:0003723	F:RNA binding	IDA:MGI.
GO:0008270	F:zinc ion binding	IEA:InterPro.
GO:0043010	P:camera-type eye development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0007281	P:germ cell development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0008584	P:male gonad development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0001823	P:mesonephros development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0001656	P:metanephros development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0000122	P:negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter	ISO:MGI.
GO:0045944	P:positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter	IDA:MGI.
GO:0007530	P:sex determination	IMP:MGI.
GO:0009888	P:tissue development	IMP:MGI.
GO:0001570	P:vasculogenesis	IMP:MGI.

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Interpro

IPR017987;    Wilms_tumour.
IPR000976;    Wilms_tumour_N.
IPR007087;    Znf_C2H2.
IPR015880;    Znf_C2H2-like.
IPR013087;    Znf_C2H2/integrase_DNA-bd.
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Pfam

PF02165;    WT1;    2.
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SMART

SM00355;    ZnF_C2H2;    4.
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PROSITE

PS00028;    ZINC_FINGER_C2H2_1;    4.
PS50157;    ZINC_FINGER_C2H2_2;    4.
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PRINTS

PR00049;    WILMSTUMOUR.;   
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Created Date

18-Oct-2012 

Record Type

Experiment identified 

Protein sequence Annotation

Nucleotide Sequence

Length: 141386 bp   Go to nucleotide: FASTA

Protein Sequence

Length: 406 bp   Go to amino acid: FASTA

The verified Protein-Protein interaction information

UniProt

Gene Symbol

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Other Protein-Protein interaction resources

String database  

UniProt

Gene Symbol

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View Microarray data

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