Rabbit anti-Human DDX4 Polyclonal Antibody

Uniprot Id

Q9NQI0

Target Species

Human

Target Name

DDX4

Target Full Name

Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX4

Target Function

ATP-dependent RNA helicase required during spermatogenesis. Required to repress 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. Involved in the secondary piRNAs metabolic process, the production of piRNAs in fetal male germ cells through a ping-pong amplification cycle. Required for PIWIL2 slicing-triggered piRNA biogenesis: helicase activity enables utilization of one of the slice cleavage fragments generated by PIWIL2 and processing these pre-piRNAs into piRNAs.

Target Subcellular Location

Cytoplasm. Cytoplasm, perinuclear region.

Target Protein Families

DEAD box helicase family, DDX4/VASA subfamily

Target Tissue Specificity

Expressed only in ovary and testis. Expressed in migratory primordial germ cells in the region of the gonadal ridge in both sexes.

Target Synonyms

DDX 4; Ddx4; DDX4_HUMAN; DEAD (Asp Glu Ala Asp) box polypeptide 4; DEAD box protein 4; DEAD/H (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp/His) box polypeptide 4; MVH; Probable ATP dependent RNA helicase DDX4; Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX4; VASA; Vasa homolog

Target Background

DEAD box proteins, characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD), are putative RNA helicases. They are implicated in a number of cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. Based on their distribution patterns, some members of this family are believed to be involved in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and cellular growth and division. This gene encodes a DEAD box protein, which is a homolog of VASA proteins in Drosophila and several other species. The gene is specifically expressed in the germ cell lineage in both sexes and functions in germ cell development. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.