Mouse Homologue of the Schizophrenia Susceptibility Gene ZNF804A as a Target of Hoxc8.
Using a ChIP-cloning technique, we identified a Zinc finger protein 804a (Zfp804a) as one of the putative Hoxc8 downstream target genes. We confirmed binding of Hoxc8 to an intronic region of Zfp804a by ChIP-PCR in F9 cells as well as in mouse embryos. Hoxc8 upregulated Zfp804a mRNA levels and augmented minimal promoter activity in vitro. In E11.5 mouse embryos, Zfp804a and Hoxc8 were coexpressed. Recent genome-wide studies identified Zfp804a (or ZNF804A in humans) as a plausible marker for schizophrenia, leading us to hypothesize that this embryogenic regulatory control might also exert influence in development of complex traits such as psychosis.
Department of Anatomy, Embryology laboratory, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea.
Hyun Joo
HJ
Chung
Ji-Yeon
JY
Lee
Custer C
CC
Deocaris
Hyehyun
H
Min
Sang Hoon
SH
Kim
Myoung Hee
MH
Kim