Functions of promyelocytic leukaemia zinc finger (Plzf) in male germline stem cell development and differentiation.

Promyelocytic leukaemia zinc finger (Plzf), also known as zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16 (ZBTB16) or zinc-finger protein 145 (ZFP145), is a critical zinc finger protein of male germline stem cells (mGSCs). Multiple lines of evidence indicate that Plzf has a central role in the development, differentiation and maintenance of many stem cells, including mGSCs, and Plzf has been validated as an essential transcription factor for mammalian testis development and spermatogenesis. This review summarises current literature focusing on the significance of Plzf in maintaining and regulating self-renewal and differentiation of mGSCs, especially goat mGSCs. The review summarises evidence of the specificity of Plzf expression in germ cell development stage, the known functions of Plzf and the microRNA-mediated mechanisms that control Plzf expression in mGSCs. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that Plzf has a central node in the development, differentiation and maintenance of many stem cells, including male germline stem cells (mGSCs). This review summarises evidence showing tight regulation of cell type- and stage-specific expression of Plzf, that Plzf is activated with heterochromatin formation and that it may be controlled by specific microRNAs during germ cell development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]