Identification and characterization of Mlr1,2: two mouse homologues of Mblk‐1, a transcription factor from the honeybee brain

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Abstract
We previously identified the Mblk-1 gene in the honeybee brain, which encodes a transcription factor containing two DNA binding motifs, termed RHF1 and 2 (Takeuchi et al. (2001) Insect Mol. Biol. 121, 134-140). Here, we identified two mouse Mblk1 homologues, Mlr1 and Mlr2. Both encode proteins containing a single DNA-binding motif highly conserved with RHF2 and activate transcription mediated by a DNA element recognized by honeybee Mblk-1. Mlr1 was expressed predominantly in the spermatocytes of the testis, while Mlr2 was expressed in various tissues other than testis. Mlr1 transcripts were lost in the testis of W/W(v) mutant mice, suggesting a role in spermatogenesis.