Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the human azoospermia factor DAZ is required for oogenesis but not for spermatogenesis.
DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia), the putative azoospermia factor gene in human, encodes a ribonucleoprotein-type RNA-binding protein required for spermatogenesis. A Drosophila homologue of DAZ, called boule, is also essential for spermatogenesis. A mouse homologue, Dazla, is implicated in both spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Here, we report the identification and characterization of daz-1, the single DAZ homologue in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Loss of daz-1 function caused sterility in hermaphrodites, by blocking oogenesis at the pachytene stage of meiosis I. Epistasis analysis suggested that this gene executes its function succeeding gld-1, which governs the early pachytene stage in the oogenic pathway. Spermatogenesis did not appear to be affected in daz-1 hermaphrodites. Males defective in daz-1 produced sperm fully competent in fertilization. Analysis employing sex-determination mutants indicated that the daz-1 function was required for meiosis of female germline regardless of the sex of the soma. Transcription of daz-1 was restricted to the germline, starting prior to the onset of meiosis and was most conspicuous in cells undergoing oogenesis. Thus, daz-1 in C. elegans is an essential factor for female meiosis but, unlike other DAZ family members so far reported, it is dispensable for male meiosis.
Karashima
T
T
Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Sugimoto
A
A
Yamamoto
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D000075364:Deleted in Azoospermia 1 Protein; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009845:Oligospermia; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C514188:DAZ-1 protein, C elegans; C095668:DAZ1 protein, human; D000075364:Deleted in Azoospermia 1 Protein; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins