A novel gene, TEGT (testis enhanced gene transcript), has been identified in humans. It does not belong to any known gene family of vertebrates. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene and a bacterial protein of unknown function show low but significant homology and very similar hydrophobicity profiles. Two different transcripts of TEGT occur, which are due to alternative usage of two polyadenylation sites. The presence of a nuclear targeting motif indicates that the gene product might localize to the nucleus. The TEGT gene maps to human chromosome 12q12-q13 and belongs to a syntenic group, which is conserved in human, mouse, and rat.