Zinc Finger Protein 253 (ZNF253)

Using PCR primers based on conserved sequences of Kruppel-like genes to screen a bone marrow cDNA library, followed by database searching and 3-prime and 5-prime RACE, Han et al. (1999) isolated cDNAs encoding several zinc finger proteins, including ZNF253.

The deduced 275-amino acid ZNF253 protein contains 3 tandemly repeated C-terminal zinc finger motifs with interspersed conserved knuckle sequences, as well as an N-terminal Kruppel-associated box (KRAB). RT-PCR analysis detected selective expression restricted to monocytic and erythroid cell lines within the hematopoietic system. By functional analysis, Han et al. (1999) showed that the KRAB box of ZNF253 has a transcriptional repressor effect in both yeast and mammalian cells.