Dnajc18 is a member of the type III DnaJ family protein. It may play a role in molecular chaperone-related functions as it belongs to the DnaJ family, which are often involved in protein folding, assembly, and degradation pathways. These processes are crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and proper protein function in various biological processes [1].

In a study screening single-gene-null mouse lines, mice with mutations in Dnajc18 showed developmental cardiac structural abnormalities. Using UK Biobank data, loss of function of the DNAJC18 gene was associated with altered left ventricular systolic function, indicating its importance for cardiac homeostasis [2]. In genetic analysis of Parkinson's disease, there was a suggestive association of DNAJC18 with sporadic early-onset PD (sEOPD) or familial PD (FPD), though more research is needed to clarify its exact role in this context [4]. Also, in cattle research, DnaJC18 was identified in multiple studies as being associated with heat tolerance. For example, in Xiangnan cattle, Abigar cattle, and in the comparison between Bos taurus and Bos indicus, genes associated with heat tolerance included DnaJC18 [3,5,8]. It was also found in Ethiopian cattle breeds in relation to heat stress adaptation [7]. Additionally, in Chinese indigenous cattle populations, DnaJC18 was identified as a common gene related to heat stress in three cattle populations [6].

In conclusion, Dnajc18 appears to be involved in important biological functions such as germ cell maturation in rats, cardiac homeostasis in mice, and heat tolerance in cattle. The gene knockout or loss-of-function studies in mouse models have been valuable in revealing its role in cardiac development and function, while in other species, its association with heat tolerance has been an important finding. These insights contribute to understanding the genetic basis of various physiological processes and diseases, including congenital heart disorders and potentially Parkinson's disease [1,2,4].

References:

1. Gomes, Cynthia, Soh, Jaemog. 2017. DnaJC18, a Novel Type III DnaJ Family Protein, is Expressed Specifically in Rat Male Germ Cells. In Development & reproduction, 21, 237-247. doi:10.12717/DR.2017.21.3.237. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29082339/

2. Spielmann, Nadine, Miller, Gregor, Oprea, Tudor I, Gailus-Durner, Valerie, Hrabe de Angelis, Martin. 2022. Extensive identification of genes involved in congenital and structural heart disorders and cardiomyopathy. In Nature cardiovascular research, 1, 157-173. doi:10.1038/s44161-022-00018-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39195995/

3. Yan, Huixuan, Li, Jianbo, Zhang, Kunyu, Lei, Chuzhao, Yi, Kangle. 2024. Local Ancestry and Adaptive Introgression in Xiangnan Cattle. In Biology, 13, . doi:10.3390/biology13121000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39765667/

4. Zhang, Kailin, Pan, Hongxu, Zhao, Yuwen, Tang, Beisha, Liu, Zhenhua. 2022. Genetic Analysis of HSP40/DNAJ Family Genes in Parkinson's Disease: a Large Case-Control Study. In Molecular neurobiology, 59, 5443-5451. doi:10.1007/s12035-022-02920-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35715682/

5. Ayalew, Wondossen, Wu, Xiaoyun, Tarekegn, Getinet Mekuriaw, Enquahone, Solomon, Yan, Ping. 2023. Whole-Genome Resequencing Reveals Selection Signatures of Abigar Cattle for Local Adaptation. In Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 13, . doi:10.3390/ani13203269. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37893993/

6. Liu, Yuqiang, Zhao, Guoyao, Lin, Xiaojue, Li, Junya, Xu, Lingyang. 2022. Genomic inbreeding and runs of homozygosity analysis of indigenous cattle populations in southern China. In PloS one, 17, e0271718. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0271718. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36006904/

7. Ayalew, Wondossen, Xiaoyun, Wu, Tarekegn, Getinet Mekuriaw, Bongcam-Rudloff, Erik, Ping, Yan. 2024. Whole-genome sequencing of copy number variation analysis in Ethiopian cattle reveals adaptations to diverse environments. In BMC genomics, 25, 1088. doi:10.1186/s12864-024-10936-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39548375/

8. Hu, Yan, Xia, Han, Li, Mingxun, Liu, George E, Zhou, Yang. 2020. Comparative analyses of copy number variations between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. In BMC genomics, 21, 682. doi:10.1186/s12864-020-07097-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33004001/