Deletions of the DAZ gene family in distal Yq11 are always associated with deletions of the azoospermia factor c (AZFc) region, which we now estimate extends to 4.94 Mb. Because more Y gene families are located in this chromosomal region, and are expressed like the DAZ gene family only in the male germ line, the testicular pathology associated with complete AZFc deletions cannot predict the fun...

The DAZ family of genes are important fertility factors in animals, including humans. The family consists of Y-linked DAZ, and autosomal homologs Boule and Dazl. All three genes encode RNA-binding proteins that are nearly exclusively expressed in germ cells. The DAZ family is highly conserved, with ancestral Boule present in sea anemones through humans, Dazl conserved among vertebrates, and DAZ...

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 sing...

The Deleted in AZoospermia (DAZ) genes encode potential RNA-binding proteins that are expressed exclusively in prenatal and postnatal germ cells and are strong candidates for human fertility factors. Here we report the identification of an additional member of the DAZ gene family, which we have called BOULE. With the identification of this gene, it is clear that the human DAZ gene family contai...

background: deletions of the daz (deleted in azoospermia) genes within the human y chromosome's azfc region are the most common cause of spermatogenesis failure. these deletions are usually assessed by analyses of genomic dna ex­tracted from peripheral leukocytes. daz genes are expressed in male germ cells. in this prospective study, we investigated daz expression and deletion in 102 consecutiv...

The DAZ genes are candidate fertility factors that lie within the human Y chromosome's AZFc region, whose deletion is a common cause of spermatogenic failure. The number of DAZ genes has been difficult to determine, in part because the nucleotide sequences of the DAZ genes are nearly identical. Here, fluorescence in situ hybridization and characterization of BAC clones revealed four full-length...

The DAZ (Deleted in AZoospermia) and DAZLA (DAZ-like autosomal) genes may be determinants of male infertility. The DAZ gene on the long arm of the human Y chromosome is a strong candidate for the 'azoospermia factor' (AZF). Its role in spermatogenesis is supported by its exclusive expression in testis, its deletion in a high percentage of males with azoospermia or severe oligospermia, and its h...

In a subset of infertile men, a spectrum of spermatogenic defects ranging from a complete absence of germ cells (sertoli cell only) to oligozoospermia is associated with microdeletions of the DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) gene cluster on human distal Yq. DAZ encodes a testis-specific protein with RNA-binding potential recently derived from a single-copy gene DAZL1 (DAZ-like) on chromosome 3. Y c...

The human DAZ gene family is expressed in germ cells and consists of a cluster of nearly identical DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) genes on the Y chromosome and an autosomal homolog, DAZL (DAZ-like). Only the autosomal gene is found in mice. Y-chromosome deletions that encompass the DAZ genes are a common cause of spermatogenic failure in men, and autosomal homologs of DAZ are essential for testic...

Y-chromosomal DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) and autosomal DAZ-like (DAZL) comprise a gene family involved in gametogenesis. Y-chromosomal and autosomal genes only co-exist in humans and old world monkeys, indicating that DAZ genes are a recent acquisition of the Y chromosome. In most mammals, the ancestral Dazl alone is sufficient to complete gametogenesis. It is not yet understood why humans an...