ES Cell Associated Transcript 1 (ECAT1)

By searching for genes similar to the 3 mouse Khdc1 genes, Pierre et al. (2007) identified a family of related genes in eutharian mammals. In human, this family includes KHDC1, DPPA5, OOEP , and ECAT1, which is absent in rodents. The proteins encoded by these genes contain an atypical KH domain with amino acid changes at critical sites, suggesting that it may not bind RNA like canonical KH domains.Pierre et al. (2007) identified a family of KHDC1-related genes, including ECAT1, in eutherian mammals, but not in fish, bird, or opossum. These genes map to a single syntenic region in human, chimpanzee, macaque, dog, and bovine, but a paracentric inversion separated the genes in mouse and rat. Pierre et al. (2007) noted that the ECAT1 gene is absent in rodents.