vasa gene

vasa is an RNA binding protein with an RNA-dependent helicase. The vasa gene, is essential for germ cell development and was first identified in Drosophila melanogaster.[1] It is homologous to a DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp)-family protein in the mouse.[2]

Vasa has conserved biological function as an essential component of the piRNA pathway, responsible for processing of transposable element transcripts to be silenced .

Expression

In Drosophila, vasa expression is seen in germ cells, specifically the germline stem cells (GSC's) of female ovaries and in the early stages of spermatogensis in the male testis.

Staining

Due to the localization of vasa, immunohistochemistry staining can be done with vasa antibodies. For example, vasa antibody staining is specific for germline stem cells in the D. melanogaster germarium.
This protein is localized to the cytoplasm of fetal germ cells and to the cytoplasm of developing oocytes in the mammals.

Function

Drosophila melanogaster

Previously it was believed that in early embryogenesis, vasa is involved in abdomen development, nanos mRNA translation, and pole plasm and germ cell formation.[1] Additionally, in oogenesis vasa was thought to be involved in germline cyst development, oocyte differentiation, gurken mRNA translation, oocyte polarity and translation of oskar mRNA.[1] More recently, the function of Vasa is understood to be a DEAD-box helicase protein in the processing of transposable element transcripts by the piRNA pathway .

References

  1. 1 2 3 Erez Raz (2000). "The function and regulation of vasa-like genes in germ-cell development". Genome Biology 1 (3): reviews1017.1–reviews1017.6. doi:10.1186/gb-2000-1-3-reviews1017. PMC 138859. PMID 11178242. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  2. ↑ Fujiwara, Y; Komiya T; Kawabata H; Sato M; Fujimoto H; Furusawa M; Noce T. (6 Dec 1994). "Isolation of a DEAD-family protein gene that encodes a murine homolog of Drosophila vasa and its specific expression in germ cell lineage". PNAS 91 (25): 12258–62. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.25.12258. PMC 45416. PMID 7991615.
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