Dazap2, Deleted in Azoospermia-associated protein 2, is a small adaptor protein with diverse functions. It is involved in multiple signaling pathways, including those related to p53 response, anti-viral response, neural patterning, and Wnt signaling, playing important roles in cell fate decision-making, host-virus interaction, embryonic development, and more [1,2,3,4]. Genetic models such as gene knockout in mice can be valuable for studying its functions.

Knock-down or genetic deletion of DAZAP2 in a mouse tumour xenograft model strongly potentiates cancer cell chemosensitivity, indicating its role in regulating the DNA damage-induced p53 response [1]. In zebrafish, loss of Dazap2 in embryos leads to diminished expression of hoxb9 and an increase in the anterior marker otx2, revealing its requirement for FGF-mediated posterior neural patterning [3]. In Traf4 (-/-) cells, IL-25 responses are impaired due to the inability to degrade DAZAP2 via the TRAF4-SMURF2 pathway, highlighting its role in IL-25 signaling and allergic airway inflammation [5].

In conclusion, Dazap2 is essential for multiple biological processes. Model-based research, especially gene knockout in mice and other organisms, has revealed its role in cancer chemosensitivity, neural development, and immune-related diseases, providing insights into potential therapeutic strategies for these conditions.

References:

1. Liebl, Magdalena C, Moehlenbrink, Jutta, Becker, Huong, Lyko, Frank, Hofmann, Thomas G. . DAZAP2 acts as specifier of the p53 response to DNA damage. In Nucleic acids research, 49, 2759-2776. doi:10.1093/nar/gkab084. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33591310/

2. Hou, Jiakai, Wei, Yanjun, Zou, Jing, Xie, Xuping, Peng, Weiyi. 2024. Integrated multi-omics analyses identify anti-viral host factors and pathways controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection. In Nature communications, 15, 109. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-44175-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38168026/

3. Roche, Daniel D, Liu, Karen J, Harland, Richard M, Monsoro-Burq, Anne H. 2009. Dazap2 is required for FGF-mediated posterior neural patterning, independent of Wnt and Cdx function. In Developmental biology, 333, 26-36. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.06.019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19555680/

4. Lukas, Jan, Mazna, Petr, Valenta, Tomas, Novak, Jakub, Korinek, Vladimir. 2009. Dazap2 modulates transcription driven by the Wnt effector TCF-4. In Nucleic acids research, 37, 3007-20. doi:10.1093/nar/gkp179. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19304756/

5. Zepp, Jarod A, Wu, Ling, Qian, Wen, Erzurum, Serpil, Li, Xiaoxia. 2015. TRAF4-SMURF2-mediated DAZAP2 degradation is critical for IL-25 signaling and allergic airway inflammation. In Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 194, 2826-37. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1402647. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25681341/