Banf2, or barrier-to-autointegration factor 2, is a paralog of the widely-expressed barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF). BAF is involved in chromatin organization, nuclear envelope assembly, gonadal development, and embryonic stem cell self-renewal [3,4,5]. Banf2 exhibits a testis-predominant expression pattern in humans and mice, and has been associated with male infertility in some studies, suggesting its potential role in spermatogenesis [1,2]. Genetic models, such as gene knockout mouse models, are valuable tools for studying its function.

Surprisingly, when researchers used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate Banf2-knockout mice, the knockout mice did not show any detectable abnormalities in the histological structure of the testis, epididymis, ovary, and other tissues, and had normal fertility. This indicates that Banf2 is not essential for mouse spermatogenesis and fertility [1]. However, transcriptomic data analysis in male infertility research showed that Banf2 was among the genes commonly differentially expressed between non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and non-obstructive and obstructive azoospermia (NOA and OA) groups. These genes are involved in germ cell development, spermatid development, spermatid differentiation, regulation of proteolysis, spermatogenesis, and metabolic processes, suggesting a potential link to male infertility [2].

In conclusion, while Banf2-knockout mouse models suggest that it is not essential for mouse spermatogenesis and fertility, transcriptomic data analysis implies its possible role in male infertility-related biological processes. The study of Banf2 using gene knockout models provides insights into its function, especially in the context of male reproductive health.

References:

1. Niu, Chang-Min, Xia, Meng-Meng, Zhong, Ya-Nan, Zheng, Ying. 2021. Mus musculus Barrier-To-Autointegration Factor 2 (Banf2) is Not Essential for Spermatogenesis or Fertility. In Cytogenetic and genome research, 161, 167-177. doi:10.1159/000513850. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33951625/

2. Omolaoye, Temidayo S, Omolaoye, Victor A, Kandasamy, Richard K, Hachim, Mahmood Yaseen, Du Plessis, Stefan S. 2022. Omics and Male Infertility: Highlighting the Application of Transcriptomic Data. In Life (Basel, Switzerland), 12, . doi:10.3390/life12020280. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35207567/

3. Margalit, Ayelet, Brachner, Andreas, Gotzmann, Josef, Foisner, Roland, Gruenbaum, Yosef. 2007. Barrier-to-autointegration factor--a BAFfling little protein. In Trends in cell biology, 17, 202-8. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17320395/

4. Marcelot, Agathe, Worman, Howard J, Zinn-Justin, Sophie. 2020. Protein structural and mechanistic basis of progeroid laminopathies. In The FEBS journal, 288, 2757-2772. doi:10.1111/febs.15526. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32799420/

5. Halfmann, Charles T, Roux, Kyle J. 2021. Barrier-to-autointegration factor: a first responder for repair of nuclear ruptures. In Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.), 20, 647-660. doi:10.1080/15384101.2021.1892320. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33678126/