This family was originally identified in Drosophila and called mago nashi, it is a strict maternal effect, grandchildless-like, gene [3]. The human homologue has been shown to interact with an RNA binding protein Swiss:Q9Y5S9 [1]. An RNAi knockout of the C. elegans homologue causes masculinization of the germ line (Mog phenotype) hermaphrodites, suggesting it is involved in hermaphrodite germ-line sex determination [2]. Mago nashi has been found to be part of the exon-exon junction complex that binds 20 nucleotides upstream of exon-exon junctions [4].

1: MAGOH interacts with a novel RNA-binding protein. Zhao XF, Nowak NJ, Shows TB, Aplan PD; Genomics 2000;63:145-148. PMID:10662555

2: mag-1, a homolog of Drosophila mago nashi, regulates hermaphrodite germ-line sex determination in Caenorhabditis elegans. Li W, Boswell R, Wood WB; Dev Biol 2000;218:172-182. PMID:10656761

3: Mutations in a newly identified Drosophila melanogaster gene, mago nashi, disrupt germ cell formation and result in the formation of mirror-image symmetrical double abdomen embryos. Boswell RE, Prout ME, Steichen JC; Development 1991;113:373-384. PMID:1765008

4: Magoh, a human homolog of Drosophila mago nashi protein, is a component of the splicing-dependent exon-exon junction complex. Kataoka N, Diem MD, Kim VN, Yong J, Dreyfuss G; EMBO J 2001;20:6424-6433. PMID:11707413