The DJ-1 gene encodes a highly-conserved protein which is implicated in a number of cell processes. DJ-1 was first identified as a novel oncogene that transformed mouse NIH/3T3 cells in cooperation with activated Ras. Additionally, DJ-1 was cloned in rat as SP22 or CAP-1, and found to be an infertilityrelated sperm protein whose expression is reduced in sperm treated with toxicants. DJ-1 also positively regulates the androgen receptor (AR) by forming a complex with PIASxα, a negative regulator of AR. The gene encoding human DJ-1 maps to chromosome 1p36.33-p36.12, a region identified as a hot spot of chromosome abnormalities in several tumor cells. Subsequently, mutations in the DJ-1 gene have been implicated in Parkinson’s disease, and loss of DJ-1 function leads to neurodegeneration.
