title: The zinc finger transcription factor 191 is required for early embryonic development and cell proliferation.
abstract: Human zinc finger protein 191 (ZNF191/ZNF24) was cloned and characterized as a SCAN family member, which shows 94% identity to its mouse homologue zinc finger protein 191 (Zfp191). ZNF191 can specifically interact with an intronic polymorphic TCAT repeat (HUMTH01) in the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene. Allelic variations of HUMTH01 have been stated to have a quantitative silencing effect on TH gene expression and to correlate with quantitative and qualitative changes in the binding by ZNF191. Zfp191 is widely expressed during embryonic development and in multiple tissues and organs in adult. To investigate the functions of Zfp191 in vivo, we have used homologous recombination to generate mice that are deficient in Zfp191. Heterozygous Zfp191(+/-) mice are normal and fertile. Homozygous Zfp191(-/-) embryos are severely retarded in development and die at approximately 7.5 days post-fertilization. Unexpectedly, in Zfp191(-/-) and Zfp191(+/-) embryos, TH gene expression is not affected. Blastocyst outgrowth experiments and the RNA interference-mediated knockdown of ZNF191 in cultured cells revealed an essential role for Zfp191 in cell proliferation. In further agreement with this function, no viable Zfp191(-/-) cell lines were obtained by derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells from blastocysts of Zfp191(+/-) intercrosses or by forced homogenotization of heterozygous ES cells at high concentrations of G418. These data show that Zfp191 is indispensable for early embryonic development and cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shuiliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Baoyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhugang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D053624:Blastocyst Inner Cell Mass / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C474810:Zfp24 protein, mouse; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C051254:hydroxyethylthiazole kinase