Zfp-37 is a member of the KRAB zinc finger gene family and is expressed in neurons of the developing and adult CNS.
The murine Zfp-37 gene encodes a protein with 12 zinc fingers at its C-terminus (Nelki et al., 1990, Nucleic Acids Res. 18: 3655; Burke and Wolgemuth, 1992, Nucleic Acids Res. 20: 2827-2834). Contrary to the published data, our Northern blot analysis demonstrates not only that the Zfp-37 gene is expressed as 2.3, 2.6, and 4.2 kb mRNAs in testis, but also that there is a 3.7-kb message in the adult mouse brain. Using a partial cDNA as a probe, we have isolated a brain-specific Zfp-37 cDNA clone of 3.3 kb, whose sequence was extended to full length using 5' end RACE. This revealed that the 3.7-kb mRNA is in fact a collection of transcripts with heterogenous 5' ends. Comparison of cDNA and genomic sequences shows that the Zfp-37 gene is spread over a region of approximately 20 kb and consists of six exons, the large 3' end exon containing the complete zinc finger domain, and 3' UTR. Our data show that the Zfp-37 gene utilizes different promoters, alternative splicing, and differential polyadenylation to generate the distinct transcripts of brain and testis. Several protein isoforms are encoded by these mRNAs, some of which contain a truncated form of a conserved domain (Krüppel-associated box) found in other zinc finger genes. In situ hybridization analysis of postnatal brain sections indicates that the Zfp-37 gene is expressed in all neurons of the central nervous system. Together, these results suggest that ZFP-37 is a transcriptional regulator predominantly present in postmitotic cells from two different lineages.
Mazarakis
N
N
MGC Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Michalovich
D
D
Karis
A
A
Grosveld
F
F
Galjart
N
N
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C102886:Zfp37 protein, mouse