Transcription regulator which is essential for male fertility and for the completion of meiotic prophase in spermatocytes. Regulates progression of the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase by activating the expression of genes involved in meiosis during spermatogenesis. Maintains the repression of pre-pachytene transcriptional programs, including meiotic double-strand breaks (DSB) formation genes in pachytene spermatocytes and suppresses aberrant DSB formation after mid-pachytene, thus ensuring meiosis progression. . This is the function of ZNF541 (zinc finger protein 541, ENSG00000118156).