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Multifunctional zinc finger proteins in development and disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2002

M. LADOMERY
Affiliation:
Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
G. DELLAIRE
Affiliation:
The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Cell Biology, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada
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Abstract

Post-transcriptional processes contribute significantly towards the generation of proteomic diversity. An increasing number of mutations have been described that affect genes encoding components of the post-transcriptional machinery. In particular, multifunctional proteins that link transcription with post-transcriptional processes have been implicated in several human diseases including cancer. A predominant feature of these proteins is the zinc finger, an ancient structural motif that mediates protein[ratio ]protein interactions and is capable of interacting with both DNA and RNA. Zinc finger proteins are the most abundant class of proteins in the human proteome, yet the majority remain uncharacterised. Here we describe multifunctional zinc finger proteins linked to human development and disease. The examples discussed are WT1, ZNF74, EWS, TLS, TAFII68, YY1, CTCF and the GLI proteins. The study of these and other zinc finger proteins provides insights into the functional versatility of the zinc finger motif and suggests that both alternative splicing and sub-cellular compartmentalisation may modulate their multifunctionality.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© University College London 2002

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