Structure of Dazl based translation control complexes

人类的生育能力取决于成熟精子和卵子的产生，而在这一过程中控制基因表达的缺陷会导致不孕症，这一问题影响着全世界12-15%的夫妇。不育男性的Y染色体缺失表明该位置存在生育因素，随后的定位鉴定出AZoospermia （DAZ）基因缺失。在整个进化过程中，DAZ基因家族的成员是物种繁殖所必需的。小鼠Dazl是DAZ基因家族的一员，是一种RNA结合蛋白。Dazl识别发育中的生殖细胞中某些信使rna上的特定序列，并招募蛋白质辅助因子，以调节mRNA产生的蛋白质数量，从而决定该基因的表达。我们的目的是确定与RNA或蛋白质辅因子结合的Dazl蛋白的三维结构。这将使我们能够可视化这个系统的组成部分，以及它们如何以非常高的分辨率相互作用，展示它们在控制基因表达方面的正常功能。

Human fertility depends upon the production of mature sperm and eggs, and defects in the control of gene expression during this process contribute to infertility, a problem affecting 12-15% of couples worldwide. Deletions on the Y chromosome in infertile men suggested a fertility factor at this location and subsequent mapping identified the Deleted in AZoospermia (DAZ) gene. Members of the DAZ gene family are required for fertility in species across evolution. Mouse Dazl, a member of the DAZ gene family, is an RNA binding protein. Dazl recognises specific sequences on certain messenger RNAs in developing germ cells and recruits protein cofactors in order to regulate how much protein is produced from that mRNA, dictating expression of that gene. We aim to determine the three-dimensional structure of the Dazl protein bound to RNA or the protein cofactors. This will allow us to visualise the components of this system and how they interact at very high resolution, demonstrating how they normally function in controlling gene expression.