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Updated: Nov 18, 2025
Screening Sperm for the Rapid Isolation of Germline Edits in Zebrafish
Published on: February 10, 2023
An RNA-interference screen in Drosophila to identify ZAD-containing C2H2 zinc finger genes that function in female
Laura Shapiro-Kulnane1, Oscar Bautista1, Helen K Salz1
1Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Abstract:
The zinc finger-associated domain (ZAD) is present in over 90 C2H2 zinc finger (ZNF) proteins. Despite their abundance, only a few ZAD-ZNF genes have been characterized to date. Here, we systematically analyze the function of 68 ZAD-ZNF genes in Drosophila female germ cells by performing an in vivo RNA-interference screen. We identified eight ZAD-ZNF genes required for oogenesis, and based on further characterization of the knockdown phenotypes, we uncovered defects broadly consistent with functions in germ cell specification and/or survival, early differentiation, and egg chamber maturation. These results provide a candidate pool for future studies aimed at functionalization of this large but poorly characterized gene family.
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