Coiled Coil Domain Containing Protein 79 (CCDC79)

CCDC79 is a meiosis-specific telomere associated protein. Based on our findings we propose that CCDC79 plays a role in meiosis-specific telomere functions. CCDC79 is involved in telomere-nuclear envelope attachment and/or the stabilization of meiotic telomeres. TERB1, as a meiosis-specific protein that localizes to telomeres from leptotene to diplotene stages of the first meiotic prophase. CCDC79 and SUN1 associate with telomeres almost concurrently at the onset of prophase, indicating a possible role for CCDC79 in telomere-nuclear envelope interactions and/or telomere movements. Consistent with this scenario, CCDC79 is missing from most telomeres that fail to connect to SUN1 protein in spermatocytes lacking the meiosis-specific cohesin SMC1B.