Identification of a novel human zinc finger gene, ZNF438, with transcription inhibition activity.
There were many different families of zinc finger proteins that contained multiple cysteine and/or histidine residues and used zinc to stabilize their folds. The classical C2H2 zinc finger proteins were the founding members of this superfamily and were among the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic genomes. C2H2 proteins typically contained several C2H2 fingers that made tandem contacts along the DNA. Here we reported a novel C2H2 type zinc finger gene, ZNF438, which encoded 828 amino acids that formed five zinc finger domains. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the ZNF438 was mapped to human chromosome 10p11.2 and shared 62% identity with rat and mouse homologues. RT-PCR analysis indicated that it was ubiquitously expressed in 18 human adult tissues. With immunofluorescence assay, it was shown that the exogenous Flag-tagged ZNF438 was located in nucleus of COS-7 cells. To further explore the function of ZNF438, we examined the transcriptional activity of ZNF438 protein by transfecting recombinant pM-ZNF438 into mammalian cells. The subsequent analysis based on the duel luciferase assay system showed that ZNF438 was a transcriptional repressor.
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
Zhaomin
Z
Zhong
Bo
B
Wan
Yun
Y
Qiu
Jun
J
Ni
Wenwen
W
Tang
Xinya
X
Chen
Yun
Y
Yang
Suqin
S
Shen
Ying
Y
Wang
Meirong
M
Bai
Qingyu
Q
Lang
Long
L
Yu
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021381:Protein Transport; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D025841:Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D012097:Repressor Proteins; D025841:Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C522800:ZNF438 protein, human