In the male mouse germline, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), bound by the PIWI protein MIWI2 (PIWIL4), guide the DNA methylation of young active transposable elements (TEs) through SPOCD1. We identified loss-of-function variants in human SPOCD1 that cause male infertility and defective TE silencing. ...
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus