A murine homologue of the human DAZ gene is autosomal and expressed only in male and female gonads

Abstract

We have isolated a homologue of the human Y linked DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) gene from mouse. This gene, Dazla (Daz like, autosomal), is autosomal, located on chromosome 17 and apparently single copy. The predicted protein is highly homologous to that encoded by the DAZ gene in the N-terminal regions of the two proteins and this homology is not confined to the RNA binding domain. Analysis of its expression pattern by reverse transcription PCR shows that the transcript is only detectable in male and female gonads and that testes lacking germ cells do not contain detectable amounts of transcript. We have been unable to detect a Y-linked DAZ homologue in mouse and our results point to the possibility of a role for autosomal RNA binding proteins in mammalian gametogenesis.