InterPro domain: IPR039874

Wings apart-like protein (WAPL) regulates heterochromatin structure [ 1 ]. It is required to hold sister chromatids of meiotic heterochromatin together and is implicated in both heterochromatin pairing during female meiosis and the modulation of position-effect variegation (PEV) [ 2 ]. hWAPL ( Q7Z5K2 ), the human homologue, is found to play a role in the development of cervical carcinogenesis, and is thought to have similar functions to Drosophila wapl protein [ 2 ]. Malfunction of the hWAPL pathway is thought to activate an apoptotic pathway that consequently leads to cell death [ 3 ].

1. Genetic and molecular analysis of wings apart-like (wapl), a gene controlling heterochromatin organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 154, 1693-710
2. Expression of a novel human gene, human wings apart-like (hWAPL), is associated with cervical carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Cancer Res. 64, 3545-9