title: Identification and characterization of two novel human SCAN domain-containing zinc finger genes ZNF396 and ZNF397.
abstract: We have identified two novel human SCAN domain genes ZNF396 and ZNF397, which are clustered within the region of chromosome 18q12. Three isoforms of ZNF396 transcript, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.9-kb, are expressed highly in liver. Four isoforms of ZNF397 transcript, 1.7, 2.5, 7.0 and 9.0-kb, are expressed in a variety of tissues, with varying levels. The SCAN-(C(2)H(2))(X) genes encode two distinct proteins due to a unique alternative splicing mechanism. Both ZNF396-fu (full zinc fingers) and ZNF397-fu consist of a SCAN domain in the N-terminal region and many consecutive C(2)H(2) zinc finger repeats in the C-terminal region. ZNF396-nf (no zinc fingers) and ZNF397-nf encode 210 and 198 amino acids, respectively, containing the SCAN domain only. ZNF396-fu, ZNF396-nf, ZNF397-fu or ZNF397-nf can homo-associate, while ZNF396-fu hetero-associates with ZNF396-nf, and ZNF397-fu hetero-associates with ZNF397-nf. ZNF396-nf and ZNF397-nf polypeptides are expressed diffusely in the cells, while ZNF396-fu and ZNF397-fu polypeptides target specifically to the nuclei. ZNF396-fu, ZNF396-nf and ZNF397-nf can repress reporter gene transcription, with ZNF397-nf having the strongest repression activity. Deletion analysis revealed that ZNF397-fu is a transcriptional activator without its nine zinc finger repeats.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, No. 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Kuntian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Guangjin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shouyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014157:Transcription Factors; C476060:ZNF396 protein, human; C476061:ZNF397 protein, human