Zebrafish Nanos3 Antibody / Nanos homolog 3

Zebrafish Nanos3 is an ortholog of the human NANOS3 gene. Both genes belong to the Nanos family of translational repressors and share conserved structural features, including zinc finger domains that enable binding to target messenger RNAs. Nanos3 acts primarily by interacting with other RNA binding proteins to repress the translation of specific transcripts involved in cell differentiation and apoptosis. In zebrafish embryos, Nanos3 is expressed maternally and zygotically in germ cell precursors. It ensures the correct localization and survival of these cells as they migrate toward the developing gonads. Loss of Nanos3 function in zebrafish leads to the mislocalization and eventual loss of germ cells, resulting in infertility or defective gonadal development. Because of its conserved role in germline development, zebrafish Nanos3 serves as a valuable marker for early germ cells and is widely used in studies of reproductive biology, stem cell maintenance, and gene regulation. It is also a useful model for understanding human infertility and germ cell tumors.