TATA Box Binding Protein Associated Factor 7 Like Protein (TAF7L)

TAF7L is similar to a mouse gene that encodes a TATA box binding protein-associated factor, and shows testis-specific expression. The encoded protein could be a spermatogenesis-specific component of the DNA-binding general transcription factor complex TFIID. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.

Of the 25 genes, 3 are Y-linked and 10 are X-linked, indicating that the X chromosome has a predominant role in pre-meiotic stages of mammalian spermatogenesis. One of the novel X-linked genes identified was RNA polymerase II TBP-associated factor II (Taf2q), which encodes a protein with testis-specific expression.