E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase CHFR is an
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''CHFR''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...
.
CHFR is recruited to sites of
DNA damage
DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as radiation can cause DNA da ...
and participates in the DNA damage response. CHFR has an important role in the survival of male
premeiotic germ cells.
[Lu LY, Yu X. CHFR is important for the survival of male premeiotic germ cells. Cell Cycle. 2015;14(21):3454-60. doi: 10.1080/15384101.2015.1093701. PMID: 26566864; PMCID: PMC4825563] About 30% of male CHFR knockout mice are
infertile
Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal sta ...
.
[ In these knockout mice ]spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid spermatozoa develop from germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. This process starts with the mitotic division of the stem cells located close to the basement membrane of the t ...
onset is delayed and apoptosis in premeiotic germ cells is significantly increased. When these mice are 3 months old there is a complete loss of germ cells in their testes
A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...
.
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