Developmental Pluripotency Associated Protein 5 (DPPA5)

Northern blot analysis detected strong expression of mouse Dppa5 only in primordial germ cells, with rapid downregulation in gonocytes and developing germ cells. Mouse Dppa5 was also expressed in embryonic stem cells and embryonic carcinoma cells. RT-PCR detected expression of human DPPA5 in primordial and embryonic germ cells and in embryonic stem cells, but not in embryonic carcinoma cells. DPPA5 expression was downregulated in differentiated human embryonic stem cells compared with strong expression in undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells. No expression of DPPA5 was detected in human somatic tissues by RT-PCR or Northern blot analysis.The proteins encoded by these genes contain an atypical KH domain with amino acid changes at critical sites, suggesting that it may not bind RNA like canonical KH domains.