ZFR is 1,074 amino acid RNA-binding protein. In human, ZFR is expressed in lung, liver, lymphocytes, heart, pancreas, kidney and placenta, and regulates postimplantation and gastrulation stages of development. Murine ZFR is observed in testis, ovary and brain. With elevated levels of expression during meiosis, ZFR associates with chromosome foci in meiotic cells. ZFR contains 1 DZF domain and localizes in the somatodendritic compartment of hippocampal neurons and colocalizes with STAU2 in cytosolic RNA granules. Knockout of ZFR in mouse embryo prevents the development of some embryonic structures leads to an increase in programmed cell death with a decrease in mitotic index.