InnateDB: Systems Biology of the Innate Immune Response

Mus musculus Protein: Mael

Summary

InnateDB Protein

IDBP-202999.6

Last Modified

2014-10-13 [Report errors or provide feedback]

Gene Symbol

Mael

Protein Name

maelstrom homolog (Drosophila)

Synonyms

4933405K18Rik; AU019877;

Species

Mus musculus

Ensembl Protein

ENSMUSP00000045828

InnateDB Gene

IDBG-202997 (Mael)

Protein Structure

UniProt Annotation

Function

Plays a central role during spermatogenesis by repressing transposable elements and preventing their mobilization, which is essential for the germline integrity. Acts via the piRNA metabolic process, which mediates the repression of transposable elements during meiosis by forming complexes composed of piRNAs and Piwi proteins and governs the methylation and subsequent repression of transposons. Its association with piP- bodies suggests a participation in the secondary piRNAs metabolic process. Required for the localization of germ-cell factors to the meiotic nuage. {ECO:0000269PubMed:18694567, ECO:0000269PubMed:20011505}.

Subcellular Localization

Cytoplasm. Nucleus. Note=Component of the meiotic nuage, also named P granule, a germ-cell-specific organelle required to repress transposon activity during meiosis. Recruited to perinuclear nuage during spermatogenesis. Specifically localizes to piP-bodies, a subset of the nuage which contains secondary piRNAs. PIWIL2 is required for its localization to piP-bodies. PubMed:16787967, reported an association with the nuclear XY body, however, PubMed:18694567 showed that it is not the case because the antibody used by PubMed:16787967 still stains the nuclear XY body in spermatocytes lacking Mael. Moreover other antibodies raized against the same epitope used in PubMed:16787967 do not recognize any epitopes on XY chromosomes but show a clear localization to the meiotic nuage.

Disease Associations

Tissue Specificity

Testis-specific. Present in spermatocytes and round and early elongating spermatids. {ECO:0000269PubMed:16787967, ECO:0000269PubMed:18694567}.

Comments

Interactions

Number of Interactions

This gene and/or its encoded proteins are associated with 6 experimentally validated interaction(s) in this database.

Experimentally validated
Total	6 [view]
Protein-Protein	6 [view]
Protein-DNA	0
Protein-RNA	0
DNA-DNA	0
RNA-RNA	0
DNA-RNA	0

Gene Ontology

Molecular Function

Accession	GO Term
GO:0003677	DNA binding
GO:0005515	protein binding

Biological Process

GO:0000122	negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter
GO:0000902	cell morphogenesis
GO:0006974	cellular response to DNA damage stimulus
GO:0007129	synapsis
GO:0007140	male meiosis
GO:0007275	multicellular organismal development
GO:0007283	spermatogenesis
GO:0008630	intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway in response to DNA damage
GO:0009566	fertilization
GO:0010629	negative regulation of gene expression
GO:0030154	cell differentiation
GO:0031047	gene silencing by RNA
GO:0034587	piRNA metabolic process
GO:0043046	DNA methylation involved in gamete generation
GO:0043066	negative regulation of apoptotic process
GO:0046620	regulation of organ growth

Cellular Component

GO:0000785	chromatin
GO:0001741	XY body
GO:0005634	nucleus
GO:0005737	cytoplasm
GO:0030849	autosome
GO:0033391	chromatoid body
GO:0043186	P granule
GO:0048471	perinuclear region of cytoplasm
GO:0071547	piP-body