Description
Product Characteristics: Function: May play a role in germ cell development. Subcellular location: Cytoplasm Tissue specificity: Expressed only in ovary and testis. Expressed in migratory primordial germ cells in the region of the gonadal ridge in both sexes.,Reproduction,Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX4, DEAD box protein 4, VASA
Target Information: DEAD box proteins, characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD), are putative RNA helicases. They are implicated in a number of cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. Based on their distribution patterns, some members of this family are believed to be involved in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and cellular growth and division. This gene encodes a DEAD box protein, which is a homolog of VASA proteins in Drosophila and several other species. The gene is specifically expressed in the germ cell lineage in both sexes and functions in germ cell development. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2009]