factor in the germline alpha (transcription factor FIGa, FIGalpha, FIGLA)

Function

• germ-line specific transcription factor
• role in postnatal oocyte-specific gene expression
• role in the expression of multiple oocyte-specific genes, including: those that initiate folliculogenesis those that encode the zona pellucida (ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3) required for fertilization & early embryonic survival
• essential for oocyte survival & formation of primordial follicles
• persistence of FIGLAin adult females suggests that it may regulate additional pathways essential for normal ovarian development
• binds to the E-box (5'-CANNTG-3') of the ZPs (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3) promoters
• forms a heterodimer with TCF3/isoform E12

Structure

• contains 1 basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain

Compartment

nucleus

Expression

• expressed in germ cells, fetal ovary, ovarian follicles, mature oocytes, & less frequently in preimplantation embryo

More general terms

• transcription factor (TF)
• DNA-binding protein

Database

• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/608697
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q6QHK4.html