Testicular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (TCAM1)

TCAM1 is a testis-specific member of the cell adhesion molecule family of proteins.By characterization of the sequence surrounding the rat Gh1 gene, followed by screening a rat testis cDNA library and 5-prime RACE, Ono et al. (1999) identified Tcam1. The deduced 548-amino acid rat Tcam1 protein contains 4 potential N-glycosylation sites, 5 immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, and shares similarity with Icam1. Northern blot analysis of rat tissues detected a 2.9-kb mRNA exclusively in testis. The deduced mouse protein also has 548-amino acids and contains a signal sequence, 5 immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, and transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. Northern blot analysis of testis total RNA from 6-, 8-, 12-, and 17-day and adult testis detected a 3.1-kb transcript in 17-day and adult testis only.