Endoplasmic Reticulum Metallopeptidase 1

 Endoplasmic Reticulum Metallopeptidase 1 also called Fxna Felix-Ina, this protein  was expressed in granulosa cells surrounding the oocytes but not in the oocytes themselves. Down-regulation of the gene with a lentiviral siRNA disrupted both the rate of follicle assembly and the initiation of follicle growth. There was a widespread loss of somatic germ cell organization in which pregranulosa cells encircled more than one oocyte and many oocytes were not surrounded by somatic cells.Northern blot analysis detected wide expression of Fxna in rat tissues, with highest levels in ovary, kidney, hypothalamus, and hippocampus. Sequence analysis showed that Fxna is a member of the metallopeptidase family M28. It contains at least 8 transmembrane domains near the C terminus, suggesting that it is a membrane protein, and a peptidase domain near the N terminus.