This entry includes human DAZL that belong to the DAZ family. DAZ family members include BOULE, DAZ-Like (DAZL) and DAZ. They are found almost exclusively in germ cells and are key players for germ cell development [, ]. They contain a highly conserved RNA-binding motif (RNA recognition motif; RRM) and a unique DAZ repeat []. Their RRM has been shown to bind 3'-UTR sequences of target mRNAs. They may be involved in regulation of mRNA translation [].
In humans, the DAZ gene family consists of DAZ on the Y chromosome and 2 autosomal members: DAZL (DAZ-like) and BOULE. Although the DAZ gene evolved relatively recently and is present only in primates, DAZL and BOULE are much more ancient and conserved. BOULE homologues are present throughout eumetazoan animals, from sea anemones to mammals, and DAZL homologues are present in bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals []. BOULE is highly expressed in the testis, whereas DAZL appears to be highly expressed in both the testis and the ovary [].DAZ family members are RNA binding proteins that play important roles in animal germ cell development [, ]. They function as adaptors for target mRNA transport and activators of their translation. Deletion of the DAZ gene is the most common cause of infertility in humans [].
DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia) proteins are found almost exclusively in germ cells in distant animal species. Deletion or mutations of their encoding genes usually impair either oogenesis or spermatogenesis or both. The family includes three members, Boule (or Boll), Dazl (or Dazla) and DAZ, encoding RNA binding proteins. Boule is the ancestral gene that is conserved from flies to humans, whereas, Dazl arose in the early vertebrate lineage and Daz arrived on Y chromosome during primate evolution. Basically, DAZ family proteins have been proposed to function as adaptors for target mRNA transport and activators of their translation. These proteins have a highly conserved RNA recognition motif (RRM) for binding target mRNAs and one (Boule and Dazl) or multiple copies (Daz) of the DAZ domain, a 24 amino acids motif rich in Asn, Tyr, and Gln residues. The function of the DAZ domain is not known, but may be involved in protein-protein interactions [, , , , ]. The entry represents the DAZ domain.
This entry represents the RNA recognition motif (RRM) domain of Deleted in AZoospermia (DAZ) homologues from invertebrates. Invertebrates contain a single DAZ homologue, known as BOULE in Drosophila, while vertebrates, other than catarrhine primates, possess both BOULE and DAZL (DAZ-like) genes. The catarrhine primates possess BOULE, DAZL, and DAZ genes []. The family members encode closely related RNA-binding proteins that are required for fertility in numerous organisms. These proteins contain an RNA recognition motif (RRM) and a varying number of copies of a DAZ motif, believed to mediate protein-protein interactions. DAZL and BOULE contain a single copy of the DAZ motif, while DAZ proteins can contain 8-24 copies of this repeat []. DAZ proteins are involved in gametogenesis [].
