Cloning the cDNA for a new human zinc finger protein defines a group of closely related Krüppel-like transcription factors.
We have identified a novel zinc finger protein that has been named ubiquitous Krüppel-like factor (UKLF) based on structural considerations and the pattern of gene expression. UKLF was isolated by the polymerase chain reaction approach using degenerate oligonucleotides corresponding to the DNA-binding domain of erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF) and cDNA prepared from human vascular endothelial cells. The carboxyl-terminal portion of UKLF contains three zinc fingers of the Cys2-His2 type and binds in vitro to the CACCC motif of the beta-globin promoter and to the Sp1 recognition sequence. The amino-terminal portion of UKLF consists of a hydrophobic region rich in serines and a negatively charged segment with several glutamic acid residues. The first 47 amino acids of the acidic region are nearly identical to the amino-terminal portion of another Krüppel-like factor, the so-called core promoter-binding protein (CPBP) or Zf9. Like CPBP/Zf9, UKLF can function as a transcription activator in co-transfection assays. However, this activity is lost when the highly conserved amino-terminal segment is deleted. These findings indicate that UKLF and CPBP/Zf9 represent a distinct subgroup of closely related Krüppel-like activators of transcription. Mapping of the UKLF gene to chromosome 2 suggested that UKLF and CPBP/Zf9 translocated to different chromosomes following duplication from an ancestral gene.
Genetics Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
N
N
Matsumoto
F
F
Laub
R
R
Aldabe
W
W
Zhang
F
F
Ramirez
T
T
Yoshida
M
M
Terada
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D000075723:Kruppel-Like Factor 6; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C105465:KLF6 protein, human; C480503:KLF7 protein, human; D000075723:Kruppel-Like Factor 6; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors