Testis Expressed Protein 11 (TEX11)

Tex11 formed discrete foci on synapsed regions of meiotic chromosomes in mice and appeared to be a constituent of meiotic nodules involved in recombination. Loss of Tex11 caused chromosomal asynapsis and reduced crossover formation, leading to elimination of spermatocytes at the pachytene and anaphase I stages, respectively. Tex11-deficient spermatocytes with asynapsed autosomes underwent apoptosis at the pachytene stage, while those with only asynapsed sex chromosomes progressed.

Tex11 interacted with Sycp2, a component of the synaptonemal complex lateral element. TEX11 promotes initiation and/or maintenance of synapsis and formation of crossovers, and may provide a link between these 2 meiotic processes.