A novel form of the myeloid-specific zinc finger protein (MZF-2).
BACKGROUND
Myeloid cell development is controlled by tissue-specific transcription factors. Human myeloid zinc finger protein (MZF-1) is a putative transcription factor containing 13 zinc fingers, and has been suggested that it regulates the development of neutrophilic granulocytes.


RESULTS
Here, we have isolated the murine and human cDNAs which encode a novel form of MZF protein (MZF-2). Murine and human MZF-2 proteins consisted of 814 and 775 amino acids, respectively, and have identity of 75.3% between them. The C-terminal half of human MZF-2, carrying the zinc finger domains, was completely identical with that of human MZF-1, whereas the N-terminal half of MZF-2 was different from the corresponding region of human MZF-1, and was coded by distinct exons. MZF-2 mRNA was expressed in myeloid cells, particularly in the cells committed to the neutrophilic lineage, and down-regulated by G-CSF.


CONCLUSIONS
MZF-1 and MZF-2 mRNAs seem to be produced by the alternative use of two different transcription initiation sites. The distinct N-terminal half of MZF-2 carries two characteristic domains, a leucine-rich domain called LeR and an acidic domain, which suggests a unique function of MZF-2 in neutrophil development.
Murai
K
K
Osaka Bioscience Institute, Suita, Japan.
Murakami
H
H
Nagata
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C085969:MZF1 protein, human; C490095:Mzf1 protein, mouse; D011506:Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors