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GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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TESMIN
testis expressed metallothionein like protein
Chromosome 11 · 11q13.3
NCBI Gene: 9633Ensembl: ENSG00000132749.12HGNC: HGNC:7446UniProt: Q9Y4I5
17PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingregulation of DNA-templated transcriptionnucleuscytoplasmcholelithiasisazoospermiapartial chromosome Y deletionlung adenocarcinoma
✦AI Summary

TESMIN (testis expressed metallothionein-like protein) is a cysteine-rich, 60 kDa metallothionein-like protein primarily characterized by its role in male germ cell development. Functionally, TESMIN is essential for spermatogenesis and serves as an early marker of male germ cell differentiation, with expression specifically localized to spermatocytes during meiosis 1. The protein contains metallothionein-like motifs with metal ion binding capacity and acts as a ligand-selective coactivator of the mineralocorticoid receptor, exhibiting aldosterone-specific interactions through LxxLL motifs 23. Beyond its reproductive function, TESMIN has emerged as a significant oncogenic factor across multiple cancer types. In lung adenocarcinoma, TESMIN promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation and associates with poor overall survival 45. Similarly, in hepatocellular carcinoma, elevated TESMIN expression correlates with advanced tumor stage, invasion, and poor prognosis, with functional studies demonstrating its role in promoting HCC cell proliferation and invasiveness 6. In early gastric cancer, TESMIN represents a component of a predictive biomarker panel for lymph node metastasis assessment 7. Non-small cell lung cancer demonstrates significantly elevated TESMIN expression correlating with Ki-67 proliferation markers and reduced survival 8. These findings position TESMIN as both a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target across malignancies.

Sources cited
1
TESMIN is a testis-specific, cysteine-rich 32-kDa protein expressed specifically in spermatocytes and serves as an early marker of male germ cell differentiation coinciding with meiosis entry
PMID: 10191092
2
TESMIN functions as a ligand-selective mineralocorticoid receptor coactivator showing aldosterone-specificity through LxxLL motifs and direct protein-protein interaction
PMID: 24907116
3
TESMIN is confirmed as a ligand-discriminant coactivator of mineralocorticoid receptor with defined structural basis for differential aldosterone versus cortisol interactions
PMID: 25662276
4
TESMIN is upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma, promotes proliferation, migration and invasion via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation, and associates with poor overall survival
PMID: 41276573
5
TESMIN expression is upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma, relates to Ki-67 expression, predicts poor survival, associates with immunosuppression and activated cell cycle
PMID: 39229988
6
TESMIN is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, associates with tumor stage and invasion, serves as an independent prognostic factor, and promotes HCC cell proliferation and invasion
PMID: 38283987
7
TESMIN is part of a 4-mRNA panel for predicting lymph node metastasis risk in early T1 gastric cancer via liquid biopsy
PMID: 39915770
8
TESMIN is highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer with positive correlation to Ki-67 proliferation marker and association with shorter overall survival
PMID: 31059101
Disease Associationsⓘ20
cholelithiasisOpen Targets
0.28Weak
azoospermiaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
partial chromosome Y deletionOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 57Open Targets
0.09Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 50Open Targets
0.09Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 25Open Targets
0.09Suggestive
spermatogenic failure, X-linked, 2Open Targets
0.09Suggestive
isochromosomy YpOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 71Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 63Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 61Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 62Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 88Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 59Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 60Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 73Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 74Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 48Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
male infertility with azoospermia or oligozoospermia due to single gene mutationOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
MT1EProtein interaction87%LIN9Protein interaction75%HSF5Shared pathway50%ASZ1Shared pathway40%CATSPERZShared pathway33%TDRD12Shared pathway29%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Brain
11%
Ovary
4%
Liver
2%
Lung
1%
Heart
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TESMINMT1ELIN9HSF5ASZ1CATSPERZTDRD12
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9Y4I5
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.02LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.75 [0.56–1.02]
RankingsWhere TESMIN stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #15,136of 20,598
    Most Researched17
  • #10,014of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.02
Genes detectedTESMIN
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
TESMIN promotes lung adenocarcinoma proliferation, migration and invasion via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.
PMID: 41276573
Sci Rep · 2025
1.00
2
TESMIN is a Prognostic Biomarker Associated with Immunosuppression and Activated Cell Cycle in Lung Adenocarcinoma.
PMID: 39229988
Curr Med Chem · 2025
0.90
3
Identification and characterization of a ligand-selective mineralocorticoid receptor coactivator.
PMID: 24907116
FASEB J · 2014
0.80
4
Preoperative liquid biopsy transcriptomic panel for risk assessment of lymph node metastasis in T1 gastric cancer.
PMID: 39915770
J Exp Clin Cancer Res · 2025
0.70
5
Clinical Significance and Functional Insights of Tesmin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
PMID: 38283987
Genet Res (Camb) · 2024
0.60