TSSK

The TSSK group encodes testis-specific serine/threonine kinases, a CAMK-family branch expressed exclusively in male germ cells after meiosis. Members TSSK1 through TSSK6 are transcribed in spermatids, where they remodel chromatin, shape the sperm head, and assemble the flagellum and mitochondrial sheath required for motility. Gene knockout studies in mice demonstrate that several members are indispensable for male fertility while remaining dispensable elsewhere, a specificity making them attractive non-hormonal contraceptive targets. TSSK6-null males, for example, produce sperm with defective chromatin condensation. Structural studies support development of selective inhibitors, and immunological detection of TSSKs in sperm has been explored for fertility diagnostics.