nos-2 encodes one of three genes in C. elegans that contains a putative zinc-binding domain similar to the one found in Drosophila nanos; nos-2 affects incorporation of primordial germ cells into the somatic gonad, is required redundantly with nos-1 to prevent primordial germ cells from dividing in starved animals and to maintain germ cell viability during larval development in hermaphrodites and in males, and also functions together with nos-1 and nos-3 in the hermaphrodite switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis; nos-2 is expressed in the primordial germ cells around the time of gastrulation from a maternal RNA associated with P granules, and it is expressed coordinately with nos-1in a dynamic fashion until the embryonic 200-cell stage.
Predicted to enable mRNA binding activity and zinc ion binding activity. Involved in oogenesis and regulation of cell cycle. Located in cytoplasm. Expressed in P0; P4; Z2; and Z3. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in spermatogenic failure 12. Is an ortholog of human NANOS1 (nanos C2HC-type zinc finger 1); NANOS2 (nanos C2HC-type zinc finger 2); and NANOS3 (nanos C2HC-type zinc finger 3).
Map position created from combination of previous interpolated map position (based on known location of sequence) and allele information. Therefore this is not a genetic map position based on recombination frequencies or genetic experiments. This was done on advice of the CGC.