TSPY1

gene
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Also known as CT78

Summary

TSPY1 (testis specific protein Y-linked 1, HGNC:12381) is a protein-coding gene on chromosome Yp11.2, encoding Testis-specific Y-encoded protein 1 (Q01534). May be involved in sperm differentiation and proliferation.

The protein encoded by this gene is found only in testicular tissue and may be involved in spermatogenesis. Many functional paralogs and pseudogenes of this gene are present in a cluster in humans, but only a single, nonfunctional orthologous gene is found in mouse. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.

Source: NCBI Gene 7258 — RefSeq curated summary.

At a glance

  • Clinical variants (ClinVar): 3 total
  • Phenotypes (HPO): 6
  • MANE Select transcript: NM_003308

Identifiers

Gene identifiers

FieldValue
HGNC IDHGNC:12381
Approved symbolTSPY1
Nametestis specific protein Y-linked 1
LocationYp11.2
Locus typegene with protein product
StatusApproved
AliasesCT78
Ensembl geneENSG00000258992
Ensembl biotypeprotein_coding
OMIM480100
Entrez7258

Gene structure

Transcript identifiers

Ensembl transcripts: 2 — 2 protein_coding

ENST00000423647, ENST00000451548

RefSeq mRNA: 5 — MANE Select: NM_003308 NM_001197242, NM_001320964, NM_001422080, NM_001422082, NM_003308

CCDS: CCDS48205, CCDS76071

Canonical transcript exons

ENST00000451548 — 6 exons

ExonStartEnd
ENSE0000168580994669559467486
ENSE0000170188294683009468411
ENSE0000170601294680949468171
ENSE0000359393194695399469749
ENSE0000365909494687659468846
ENSE0000371742494685139468658

Expression profiles

Bgee: expression breadth tissue_specific, 6 present calls, max score 89.15.

Top tissues by expression

129 total, by Bgee expression score (0-100, higher = more expressed):

TissueAnatomy IDExpression scoreQuality
male germ line stem cell (sensu Vertebrata) in testisCL:0000089 ∩ UBERON:000047389.15gold quality
primordial germ cell in gonadCL:0000670 ∩ UBERON:000099188.18gold quality
right testisUBERON:000453471.72gold quality
testisUBERON:000047370.29gold quality
left testisUBERON:000453369.42gold quality
colonic epitheliumUBERON:000039737.20gold quality
ventricular zoneUBERON:000305336.48gold quality
cortical plateUBERON:000534336.47gold quality
bone marrow cellCL:000209236.16gold quality
ganglionic eminenceUBERON:000402335.49gold quality
skeletal muscle tissueUBERON:000113433.38gold quality
hindlimb stylopod muscleUBERON:000425232.15gold quality
bone marrowUBERON:000237131.74gold quality
muscle tissueUBERON:000238531.06gold quality
sural nerveUBERON:001548830.93gold quality
stromal cell of endometriumCL:000225529.87gold quality
prefrontal cortexUBERON:000045129.04gold quality
lymph nodeUBERON:000002928.88gold quality
duodenumUBERON:000211428.14gold quality
liverUBERON:000210728.04gold quality
leukocyteCL:000073827.20gold quality
monocyteCL:000057627.16gold quality
tonsilUBERON:000237227.05gold quality
urinary bladderUBERON:000125526.98gold quality
islet of LangerhansUBERON:000000626.55gold quality
vermiform appendixUBERON:000115426.42gold quality
bloodUBERON:000017826.04gold quality
gall bladderUBERON:000211025.98gold quality
olfactory segment of nasal mucosaUBERON:000538625.89gold quality
placentaUBERON:000198725.81gold quality

Single-cell (SCXA)

Detected in 2 experiment(s), a significant marker in 1.

ExperimentMarker?Max mean expression
E-GEOD-134144yes26.63
E-ANND-3no0.27

Regulation

Is transcription factor: no

miRNA regulators (miRDB)

15 targeting TSPY1, top 30 by miRDB confidence (max_score; target_count = how many genes the miRNA targets in total — lower means more specific):

miRNAMax scoreAvg scoremiRNA target_count
HSA-MIR-335-3P99.9373.364958
HSA-MIR-33A-3P99.7070.273362
HSA-MIR-580-3P99.6769.231841
HSA-MIR-889-5P99.4168.751025
HSA-MIR-3140-5P99.3969.041136
HSA-MIR-4999-5P99.3569.15926
HSA-MIR-3692-5P99.2967.041421
HSA-MIR-607199.1667.771780
HSA-MIR-4742-3P98.7369.821803
HSA-MIR-1537-5P98.7068.33999
HSA-MIR-758-3P98.4268.601122
HSA-MIR-93-3P98.1566.651309
HSA-MIR-1914-5P97.8366.21807
HSA-MIR-6509-5P97.3968.27969
HSA-MIR-4640-3P94.5863.02263

Literature-anchored findings (GeneRIF, showing 40)

  • TSPY has been proposed as the gene for the gonadoblastoma locus on the Y chromosome (GBY), and postulated to play certain role in gonadoblastoma, testicular and prostate cancers. (PMID:10090875)
  • As a candidate gene for the gonadoblastoma locus on the Y chromosome (GBY), it has been demonstrated to be expressed at high levels in tumor germ cells of this types of tumors and testicular seminomas. (PMID:11173850)
  • A transgenic mouse line, TgTSPY9, harboring a complete structural human TSPY gene was generated and the human TSPY gene integrated into the mouse genome follows the human expression pattern. (PMID:12773407)
  • Variant forms of TSPY transcripts are detected in human testis and prostate normal and cancer samples. They encode slightly polymorphic proteins harboring the SET/NAP conserved domain. (PMID:14684991)
  • A daughter who carried the der Y had the clinical features of Prader-Willi syndrome while a son who carries the der 15 has mild developmental delay and hypogonadism. (PMID:14981720)
  • Nested PCR revealed the testis specific protein 1-Y-linked (TSPY) gene in two women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (PMID:15037423)
  • the TSPYL gene in SIDDT affected individuals contained a homozygous frameshift mutation resulting in truncation of translation at codon 169. Truncation leads to loss of a peptide domain with strong homology to the nucleosome assembly protein family. (PMID:15273283)
  • TSPY has been used as a marker for identifying germ cells at risk for neoplastic transformation in gonadoblastoma and testicular germ cell tumors. (PMID:15948118)
  • TSPY promoter is capable of directing a reporter gene expression in male and female germ cells and neurons of transgenic mice. (PMID:16035036)
  • testis-specific expression of human TSPY is mediated by Sox proteins (PMID:16132697)
  • phosphorylation of the (T300) residue is dependent on CK2 and is a necessary and functional prerequisite for TSPY’s transport into the nucleus (PMID:16426576)
  • TSPY is expressed in germ cell tumors in the brains of male patients. (PMID:16456896)
  • The most prominent observation on prostate cancer specimens was a deletion at Yp11.2 containing the TSPY tandem gene array. Out of 36 primary prostate tumors analyzed, 16 (44.4%) samples exhibited loss of TSPY gene copies. (PMID:16618725)
  • Ectopic TSPY expression potentiates cell proliferation by mediating a rapid G2/M transition of the cell cycle and promotes tumor growth in nude mice (PMID:16762081)
  • TSPY up-regulates pro-growth genes and down-regulates cell cycle inhibitors and apoptotic factors, revealed by microarray analysis. (PMID:16762081)
  • data, taken together, have provided important insights on the probable functions of TSPY in cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis (PMID:16762081)
  • rat Tspy may play critical roles as a histone chaperone during maturation of the elongating spermatids in the rat testis (PMID:16996029)
  • The earliest Y signal DYS14 was at 14 days post conceeption. (PMID:17234369)
  • possible effect of the copy number of TSPY genes on spermatogenesis (PMID:17509197)
  • TSPY, in combination with other markers, could be an important marker for diagnosis and subclassification of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) and support its role in the pathogenesis of both gonadoblastoma and TGCTs. (PMID:17521702)
  • Patients with complete Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) did not exhibit TSPY gene expression. (PMID:17881721)
  • TSPY and its X-encoded homologue interact with cyclin B but exert contrasting functions on cyclin-dependent kinase 1 activities. (PMID:18591933)
  • TSPY could exert its oncogenic function(s) by interacting with eEF1As and stimulating gene expression via its enhancements in protein synthesis and gene transcription (PMID:18649364)
  • The chromosomal marker TSPY1 is not responsible for Mullerian aplasia syndrome in a cohort of Finnish patients. (PMID:19324347)
  • DYS-14 copy number variations on extracellular fetal DNA is not an optimal marker for differentiation between normal and complicated pregnancies. (PMID:19456250)
  • TSPY copy number variation significantly influences spermatogenic efficiency. Low TSPY1 copy number is a new risk factor for male infertility with potential clinical consequences. (PMID:19773397)
  • TSPY copy number appears to have no functional consequences for semen quality. (PMID:19917507)
  • The expression analysis of genes OCT4, SRY, and TSPY in the dysgenetic gonads of Turner syndrome patients may allow introducing modifications in the microenvironment that could contributed to a malignant transformation process. (PMID:20347080)
  • Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization targeting TSPY1 is a straightforward approach that can be used in the evaluation of Y-associated intersex disorders in women who develop gonadoblastoma. (PMID:20656323)
  • Besides its role in mitotic cycle of spermatogonial renewal, TSPY could play significant roles in progression of prophase I and meiotic divisions during spermatogenesis. (PMID:21204751)
  • a potential role(s) of TSPY in development and/or physiology of the nervous system (PMID:21621739)
  • evaluate TSPY (testis specific protein on the Y chromosome) gene and 5’UTR (UnTranslated Region) polymorphisms in men with impaired fertility compared to fertile controls (PMID:22286816)
  • A combined genetic analysis of the TSPY1 copy number and the gr/gr deletion could inform the clinical counselling of infertile couples. (PMID:23307928)
  • TSPY could bind directly to the chromatin/DNA at exon 1 of its own gene, and greatly enhance the transcriptional activities of the endogenous gene in LNCaP prostate cancer cells (PMID:24583132)
  • Over-expression of Testis-specific Protein Y-encoded 1 is associated with male hepatocellular carcinoma. (PMID:24586606)
  • The oncogenic events leading to an ectopic activation of TSPY and/or inactivating mutation/epigenetic silencing of TSPX could collectively contribute to the sexual dimorphism(s) in HCC and related liver cancers in male-biased manners. (PMID:25017435)
  • Studies indicate that TSPY1 (testis-specific protein, Y-linked 1) gene has been identified to be the most important candidate gene for gonadoblastoma. (PMID:25297590)
  • The aim of this study was to compare two Y chromosome markers-SRY and DYS14-for their utility in the diagnosis of fetal gender. (PMID:26121024)
  • TSPY and TSPX exert opposing effects on the transactivation functions of AR and AR-Vs important for various physiological and disease processes sensitive to male sex hormone actions, thereby not only affecting the pathogenesis of male-specific prostate cancer but also likely contributing to sex differences in the health and diseases of man. (PMID:28169398)
  • The expression of spermatogenic phenotypes of TSPY1 defects is independent of variations in TSPYL1 and TSPYL5 in the Han Chinese population. (PMID:28847364)

Cross-species orthologs

8 orthologs

OrganismSymbolGene ID
danio_reriotspyENSDARG00000005015
danio_rerionap1l4aENSDARG00000070560
drosophila_melanogasterSetFBGN0014879
drosophila_melanogasterNap1FBGN0015268
drosophila_melanogasterCG3708FBGN0040345
drosophila_melanogastermilFBGN0267366
caenorhabditis_elegansWBGENE00005007
caenorhabditis_elegansWBGENE00017075

Paralogs (19): SET (ENSG00000119335), TSPY2 (ENSG00000168757), NAP1L5 (ENSG00000177432), TSPYL6 (ENSG00000178021), TSPYL5 (ENSG00000180543), TSPYL2 (ENSG00000184205), NAP1L3 (ENSG00000186310), NAP1L2 (ENSG00000186462), NAP1L1 (ENSG00000187109), TSPYL4 (ENSG00000187189), TSPYL1 (ENSG00000189241), NAP1L4 (ENSG00000205531), TSPY3 (ENSG00000228927), TSPY8 (ENSG00000229549), SETSIP (ENSG00000230667), TSPY4 (ENSG00000233803), TSPY10 (ENSG00000236424), TSPY9 (ENSG00000238074), (ENSG00000293164)

Protein

Protein identifiers

Testis-specific Y-encoded protein 1Q01534 (reviewed: Q01534)

Alternative names: Cancer/testis antigen 78

All UniProt accessions (1): Q01534

UniProt curated annotations — full annotation on UniProt →

Function. May be involved in sperm differentiation and proliferation.

Subcellular location. Cytoplasm. Nucleus.

Tissue specificity. Specifically expressed in testicular tissues. Isoform 1 and isoform 2 are expressed in spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Found in early testicular carcinoma in situ, spermatogonial cells in testicular tissues of 46,X,Y female and in prostate cancer cell lines.

Post-translational modifications. Phosphorylated.

Disease relevance. TSPY is located in the gonadoblastoma critical region and is preferentially expressed in tumor germ cells of gonadoblastoma specimens. Expression also correlates with testicular seminoma and tumorigenesis of the prostate gland.

Induction. Up-regulated by androgen in a prostate cancer cell line.

Polymorphism. Variants Val-Glu-Val-Val-Ala-Glu-79 Ins and Arg-195 are shown to be present in a number of TSPY1 copies of the Yp11 loci. Variant Arg-195 is shown to be present at least in one TSPY1 copy of the Yq locus. Maps to a tandemly repeated region on chromosome Yp11; additionally at least one copy is reported originating from Yq. The gene is thought to be present with an inter-individual variation in copy number and between 20 and 60 copies per Y chromosome are expected. PubMed:12815422 reports 35 tandemly repeated gene copies on Yp11 originating from one individual.

Similarity. Belongs to the nucleosome assembly protein (NAP) family.

Isoforms (2)

UniProt IDNamesCanonical?
Q01534-11, Short, TSPY-Syes
Q01534-22, Long, TSPY-L

RefSeq proteins (5): NP_001184171, NP_001307893, NP_001409009, NP_001409011, NP_003299* (*=MANE)

Domains & families (InterPro)

IDNameType
IPR002164NAPFamily
IPR037231NAP-like_sfHomologous_superfamily

Pfam: PF00956

UniProt features (9 total): sequence conflict 4, sequence variant 3, chain 1, splice variant 1

Structure

Experimental structures (PDB)

0 structures.

Predicted structure (AlphaFold)

ModelpLDDTFraction very-high
AF-Q01534-F174.930.38

Function

Pathways and Gene Ontology

Reactome pathways

0 pathways

MSigDB gene sets: 79 (showing top): GOBP_MALE_GAMETE_GENERATION, GOBP_REPRODUCTIVE_SYSTEM_DEVELOPMENT, GOBP_SEX_DIFFERENTIATION, GOBP_DEVELOPMENTAL_PROCESS_INVOLVED_IN_REPRODUCTION, GOBP_MESENCHYME_DEVELOPMENT, CONRAD_GERMLINE_STEM_CELL, GOBP_PROTEIN_DNA_COMPLEX_ORGANIZATION, GOBP_MESODERM_DEVELOPMENT, GOBP_CHROMATIN_REMODELING, HAMAI_APOPTOSIS_VIA_TRAIL_DN, ACEVEDO_METHYLATED_IN_LIVER_CANCER_DN, GOBP_DEVELOPMENT_OF_PRIMARY_SEXUAL_CHARACTERISTICS, ACEVEDO_LIVER_CANCER_WITH_H3K27ME3_DN, GOMF_CHROMATIN_BINDING, BENPORATH_MYC_MAX_TARGETS

GO Biological Process (5): nucleosome assembly (GO:0006334), spermatogenesis (GO:0007283), gonadal mesoderm development (GO:0007506), sex differentiation (GO:0007548), cell differentiation (GO:0030154)

GO Molecular Function (3): chromatin binding (GO:0003682), histone binding (GO:0042393), protein binding (GO:0005515)

GO Cellular Component (3): chromatin (GO:0000785), nucleus (GO:0005634), cytoplasm (GO:0005737)

GO top-level categories

Rollup of top GO terms by namespace:

CategoryTerms
developmental process involved in reproduction3
binding2
cellular anatomical structure2
chromatin organization1
nucleosome organization1
protein-DNA complex assembly1
male gamete generation1
mesoderm development1
gonad development1
mesenchyme development1
cellular developmental process1
protein binding1
chromosome1
intracellular membrane-bounded organelle1
intracellular anatomical structure1

Protein interactions and networks

STRING

0 interactions, top by confidence (×1000):

IntAct

13 interactions, top by confidence:

ABTypeScore
TSPY1Eef1a1psi-mi:“MI:0915”(physical association)0.580
TSPY1Eef1a1psi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.580
TSPY1Eef1a1psi-mi:“MI:0403”(colocalization)0.580
TSPY1Eef1a2psi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.430
TSPY1Eef1a2psi-mi:“MI:0403”(colocalization)0.430
TSPY1E4psi-mi:“MI:0915”(physical association)0.370
TSPY1TSPY1psi-mi:“MI:0914”(association)0.350
TSPY1EEF1A1psi-mi:“MI:0403”(colocalization)0.270
EEF1A1TSPY1psi-mi:“MI:0403”(colocalization)0.270

BioGRID (18): TSPYL5 (Two-hybrid), TSPY1 (Affinity Capture-Western), TSPYL5 (Affinity Capture-Western), TSPY1 (Co-localization), USP7 (Affinity Capture-Western), TP53 (Affinity Capture-Western), TSPY1 (Affinity Capture-Western), TSPY3 (Two-hybrid), TSPY10 (Two-hybrid), TSPY3 (Two-hybrid), TSPY10 (Two-hybrid), WDR54 (Affinity Capture-MS), TSPY8 (Affinity Capture-MS), XAF1 (Affinity Capture-MS), TSPY10 (Affinity Capture-MS)

ESM2 similar proteins: A0A0J9YX94, A0A0J9YXQ4, A0A0J9YY54, A0A494C1R9, A5D7L8, A6NDY0, A6NKD2, A7E321, E9PGG2, F6SZT2, O14771, O19110, O75807, O88852, P0CV98, P0CV99, P0CW00, P0CW01, P0CW24, P17564, P78358, Q01534, Q0P5N2, Q15735, Q2KI51, Q2M329, Q587J8, Q5DTT8, Q5R5G8, Q5R6R8, Q5SV97, Q60465, Q62881, Q69ZB3, Q6P752, Q86V59, Q8BSI6, Q8IWY8, Q8N3D4, Q8VD63

Diamond homologs: A0A494C1R9, A2ZX50, A6NKD2, B8AEC1, B8B2R4, B8B4K9, B9FU45, F4JEI8, O19110, O59797, O88852, P0CV98, P0CV99, P0CW00, P0CW01, P0DME0, P53997, P78920, Q01105, Q01534, Q0P5N2, Q18240, Q5R5G8, Q5VND6, Q63945, Q69JW2, Q69ZB3, Q70Z17, Q70Z18, Q70Z19, Q7TQI8, Q86VY4, Q8N831, Q8VD63, Q94K07, Q9BE64, Q9CA59, Q9EQU5, Q9H0U9, Q9H2G4

SIGNOR signaling

1 interactions.

AEffectBMechanism
CSNK2A1“up-regulates activity”TSPY1phosphorylation

Disease & clinical

Clinical variants and AI predictions

ClinVar

3 variants total. Per-class counts are floors (≥ shown; pagination cap):

ClassificationCount (floor)
Pathogenic0
Likely pathogenic0
Uncertain significance2
Likely benign1
Benign0

Top pathogenic / likely-pathogenic (0)

SpliceAI

1008 predictions. Top by Δscore:

VariantEffectΔscore
Y:9468170:AGGT:Adonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468171:GG:Gdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468172:G:GAdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468182:G:GTdonor_gain1.0000
Y:9468289:T:TAacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468294:T:TAacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468295:GACA:Gacceptor_loss1.0000
Y:9468298:AG:Aacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468298:AGGT:Aacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468298:AGGTG:Aacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468299:GG:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468299:GGT:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468299:GGTG:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468299:GGTGG:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468390:G:GTdonor_gain1.0000
Y:9468511:A:AGacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468512:G:GGacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468512:GA:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468512:GAAT:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468512:GAATA:Gacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468538:A:AGacceptor_gain1.0000
Y:9468656:GAG:Gdonor_gain1.0000
Y:9468657:AGG:Adonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468659:G:GGdonor_gain1.0000
Y:9468659:GTGA:Gdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468660:T:Gdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468843:TCAGG:Tdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468844:CAG:Cdonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468845:AG:Adonor_loss1.0000
Y:9468846:GG:Gdonor_loss1.0000

AlphaMissense

2025 scored. Top likely-pathogenic:

VariantProtein changeam_pathogenicity
Y:9468389:G:CK218N0.998
Y:9468389:G:TK218N0.998
Y:9467472:T:CF158L0.996
Y:9467474:C:AF158L0.996
Y:9467474:C:GF158L0.996
Y:9468367:T:CF211S0.995
Y:9468545:T:AW237R0.994
Y:9468545:T:CW237R0.994
Y:9468348:T:CF205L0.993
Y:9468350:T:AF205L0.993
Y:9468350:T:GF205L0.993
Y:9468366:T:CF211L0.993
Y:9468368:C:AF211L0.993
Y:9468368:C:GF211L0.993
Y:9468614:T:AW260R0.992
Y:9468614:T:CW260R0.992
Y:9468393:T:CY220H0.990
Y:9467473:T:CF158S0.989
Y:9468547:G:CW237C0.989
Y:9468547:G:TW237C0.989
Y:9467475:T:AW159R0.988
Y:9467475:T:CW159R0.988
Y:9468104:A:GH166R0.988
Y:9468136:G:CD177H0.988
Y:9468394:A:CY220S0.988
Y:9468606:T:CF257S0.988
Y:9468105:C:AH166Q0.987
Y:9468105:C:GH166Q0.987
Y:9467444:A:CR148S0.986
Y:9467444:A:TR148S0.986

dbSNP variants (sampled 300 via entrez): RS111894586 (Y:9469752 T>A), RS112317775 (Y:9469787 C>G,T), RS1156283724 (Y:9469163 G>A), RS1157409557 (Y:9468701 C>G), RS1160798595 (Y:9467501 G>A), RS1162780377 (Y:9466073 C>T), RS1163339467 (Y:9468885 G>C), RS1170318332 (Y:9466086 T>A), RS1172453097 (Y:9469603 C>T), RS1172477969 (Y:9466843 T>G), RS1177249826 (Y:9467322 G>T), RS1180930139 (Y:9468694 G>A), RS1183345612 (Y:9466070 A>G), RS1185795405 (Y:9467292 C>T), RS1192052574 (Y:9467370 G>C)

Disease associations

OMIM: gene MIM:480100 | disease phenotypes:

GenCC curated gene-disease

Mondo (0):

Orphanet (0):

HPO phenotypes

6 total (6 of 6 shown, HPO-id order):

HPOTerm
HP:0000028Cryptorchidism
HP:0000798Oligozoospermia
HP:0003251Male infertility
HP:0008669Abnormal spermatogenesis
HP:0008734Decreased testicular size
HP:0011961Non-obstructive azoospermia

GWAS associations

0 associations (top):

Drugs & pharmacology

Drug and pharmacology data

Is drug target: no

PharmGKB: 1 entry (VIP=true, CPIC=false)

CTD chemical–gene interactions

1 total (human), top 1 by PubMed support.

ChemicalActions (top 5)PubMed papers
Benzo(a)pyreneaffects methylation1

Clinical trials (associated diseases)

0 trials via MONDO — disease-level, not drug-specific.

No linked Atlas pages yet — the cross-entity mesh grows as the corpus expands.