TDRD5 belongs to the evolutionary conserved Tudor domain-containing protein (TDRD) family involved in germ cell development. In mice, TDRD5 is a component of the intermitochondrial cements (IMCs) and the chromatoid bodies (CBs), which are cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules involved in RNA processing for spermatogenesis [].TDRD5 contains three N-terminal LOTUS domains and a C-terminal Tudor domain. This entry represents the second LOTUS domain of TDRD5. The LOTUS domain adopts the winged helix-turn-helix fold and may bind RNA [, ].
TDRD7 belongs to the evolutionary conserved Tudor domain-containing protein (TDRD) family involved in germ cell development. In mice, TDRD7 together with TDRD1/MTR-1, TDRD5 and TDRD6 forms a ribonucleoprotein complex in the intermitochondrial cements (IMCs) and the chromatoid bodies (CBs) involved in RNA processing for spermatogenesis. TDRD7 is functionally essential for the differentiation of germ cells [].TDRD7 contains three N-terminal LOTUS domains and three Tudor domain repeats at the C terminus. The LOTUS domain adopts the winged helix-turn-helix fold that may bind RNA [, ]. This entry represents the third LOTUS domain of TDRD7.