NCBI Summary:
In mammals, the Y chromosome directs the development of the testes and plays an important role in spermatogenesis. A high percentage of infertile men have deletions that map to regions of the Y chromosome. The DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) gene cluster maps to the AZFc region of the Y chromosome and is deleted in many azoospermic and severely oligospermic men. It is thought that the DAZ gene cluster arose from the transposition, amplification, and pruning of the ancestral autosomal gene DAZL also involved in germ cell development and gametogenesis. This gene encodes a RNA-binding protein with two RNP motifs that was originally identified by its interaction with the infertility factors DAZ and DAZL. Two isoforms are encoded by transcript variants of this gene.
General function
RNA binding
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Cellular localization
Cytoplasmic
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Ovarian function
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Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Luteal cells
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Expression patterns of the DAZ-associated protein DAZAP1 in rat and human ovariesPan HA,et al .
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of DAZAP1 (deleted in azoospermia-associated protein 1) in rat and human ovaries. DESIGN: Experimental study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Twelve corpus luteum (CL) specimens were collected during operation, either by laparoscopic surgery for CL rupture or by laparotomy for benign gynecologic conditions. INTERVENTION(S): Surgical excision of 12 human CL. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Proteins analyzed by immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. RESULT(S): DAZAP1 is expressed in rat and human luteal cells. Expression of DAZAP1 decreases with advancing stages of CL. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments show in vivo interaction of DAZ-like (DAZL) protein with DAZAP1 in the ovarian tissues. CONCLUSION(S): The expression patterns of DAZAP1 and DAZL are identical within rat and human ovaries. In mammalian species, DAZAP1 may be involved in diverse reproductive functions, ranging from cell cycle regulation and maturation of oocytes to differentiation of luteal cells.