Zn72D encodes the Drosophila zinc finger protein Zn72D. It was first identified to be involved in phagocytosis and indicated to have a role in immunity. Then it was demonstrated to have a function in RNA splicing and dosage compensation in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we discovered a new function of Zn72D in male fertility. We showed that knockdown of Zn72D in fly testes caused an extremely low egg hatch rate. Immunofluorescence staining of Zn72D knockdown testes exhibited scattered spermatid nuclei and no actin cones or individualization complexes (ICs) during spermiogenesis, where...
