BTG4 (BTG anti-proliferation factor 4) is an adapter protein that plays essential roles in maternal mRNA regulation during early embryonic development and cell cycle control. The protein bridges CNOT7, a catalytic subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, to facilitate maternal mRNA decay during oocyte maturation and the maternal-zygotic transition (MZT) 1. BTG4 is critical for zygotic cleavage and initiation of embryonic development, with homozygous mutations causing zygotic cleavage failure and female infertility through disrupted maternal mRNA decay processes 1. The gene functions as a p53 target, with p53 binding sites in its first intron leading to transcriptional upregulation upon p53 activation 2. BTG4 exhibits tumor suppressor properties, inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells 2. The gene undergoes promoter hypermethylation-associated silencing in gastric cancer, and its expression is dysregulated across various gynecological cancers 3 4. Clinically, BTG4 mutations are associated with oocyte/zygote/embryo maturation arrest, representing a Mendelian cause of female infertility with recessive inheritance patterns 1 5. The protein's role in maternal mRNA storage and clearance makes it essential for successful human reproduction 6.