Background：This gene encodes a structure-specific endonuclease which belongs to the XPF/MUS81 endonuclease family and plays a critical role in the resolution of recombination intermediates during DNA repair after inter-strand cross-links, replication fork collapse, and DNA double-strand breaks. The encoded protein associates with one of two closely related essential meiotic endonuclease proteins （EME1 or EME2） to form a complex that processes DNA secondary structures. It contains an N-terminal DEAH helicase domain, an excision repair cross complementation group 4 （ERCC4） endonuclease domain, and two tandem C-terminal helix-hairpin-helix domains. Mice with a homozygous knockout of the orthologous gene have significant meiotic defects including the failure to repair a subset of DNA double strand breaks.
