This gene encodes a member of the heat shock factor (HSF) family of transcriptional activators for heat shock proteins. This gene is a candidate gene for azoospermia, since it localizes to a region of chromosome Y that is sometimes deleted in infertile males. The genome has two identical copies of this gene within a palindromic region\; this record represents the more centromeric copy. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].
Shinka, Sato, Chen, Naroda, Kinoshita, Unemi, Tsuji, Toida, Iwamoto, Nakahori: "Molecular characterization of heat shock-like factor encoded on the human Y chromosome, and implications for male infertility." in: Biology of reproduction, Vol. 71, Issue 1, pp. 297-306, (2004) (PubMed).