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- **********************************
- * Zinc finger, C2H2 type, domain *
- **********************************
-
- 'Zinc finger' domains [1-5] are nucleic acid-binding protein structures first
- identified in the Xenopus transcription factor TFIIIA. These domains have
- since been found in numerous nucleic acid-binding proteins. A zinc finger
- domain is composed of 25 to 30 amino-acid residues. There are two cysteine or
- histidine residues at both extremities of the domain, which are involved in
- the tetrahedral coordination of a zinc atom. It has been proposed that such a
- domain interacts with about five nucleotides. A schematic representation of a
- zinc finger domain is shown below:
-
- x x
- x x
- x x
- x x
- x x
- x x
- C H
- x \ / x
- x Zn x
- x / \ x
- C H
- x x x x x x x x x x
-
- Many classes of zinc fingers are characterized according to the number and
- positions of the histidine and cysteine residues involved in the zinc atom
- coordination. In the first class to be characterized, called C2H2, the first
- pair of zinc coordinating residues are cysteines, while the second pair are
- histidines. A number of experimental reports have demonstrated the zinc-
- dependent DNA or RNA binding property of some members of this class.
-
- Some of the proteins known to include C2H2-type zinc fingers are listed below.
- We have indicated, between brackets, the number of zinc finger regions found
- in each of these proteins; a '+' symbol indicates that only partial sequence
- data is available and that additional finger domains may be present.
-
- - Saccharomyces cerevisiae: ACE2 (3), ADR1 (2), FZF1 (5), MIG1 (2), MSN2 (2),
- MSN4 (2), RGM1 (2), RIM1 (3), RME1 (3), SFP1 (2), SSL1 (1), STP1 (3) and
- SWI5 (3).
- - Emericella nidulans: brlA (2), creA (2).
- - Drosophila: Cf2 (7), ci-D (5), Disconnected (2), Escargot (5), Glass (5),
- Hunchback (6), Kruppel (5), Kruppel-H (4+), Odd-skipped (4), Snail (5),
- Serependity locus beta (6), delta (7), h-1 (8), Suppressor of hairy wing
- su(Hw) (12), Suppressor of variegation suvar(3)7 (5), Teashirt (3) and
- Tramtrack (2).
- - Xenopus: transcription factor TFIIIA (9), p43 from RNP particle (9), Xfin
- (37 !!), Xsna (5), gastrula XlcGF5.1 to XlcGF71.1 (from 4+ to 11+), Oocyte
- XlcOF2 to XlcOF22 (from 7 to 12).
- - Mammalian: basonuclin (6), transcription factor Sp1 (3), transcriptional
- repressor YY1 (4), Wilms' tumor protein (4), EGR1/Krox24 (3), EGR2/Krox20
- (3), Evi-1 (10), GLI1 (5), GLI2 (4+), GLI3 (3+), HIV-EP1/ZNF40 (4), HIV-EP2
- (2), KR1 (9+), KR2 (9), KR3 (15+), KR4 (14+), KR5 (11+), HF.12 (6+), REX-1
- (4), ZfX (13), ZfY (13), Zfp-35 (18), ZNF35 (10), ZNF42/MZF-1 (13), ZNF43
- (22), ZNF46/Kup (2), ZNF76 (7), ZNF91 (36), ZNF133 (3).
-
- In addition to the conserved zinc ligand residues it has been shown [6] that a
- number of other positions are also important for the structural integrity of
- the C2H2 zinc fingers. The best conserved position is found four residues
- after the second cysteine; it is generally an aromatic or aliphatic residue.
-
- -Consensus pattern: C-x(2,4)-C-x(3)-[LIVMFYWC]-x(8)-H-x(3,5)-H
- [The two C's and two H's are zinc ligands]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: 20.
-
- -Note: in proteins that include many copies of the C2H2 zinc finger domain,
- incomplete or degenerate copies of the domain are frequently found. The
- former are generally found at the extremity of the zinc finger region(s); the
- latter have typically lost one or more of the zinc-coordinating residues or
- are interrupted by insertions or deletions. Our pattern does not detect any
- of these finger domains.
-
- -Last update: June 1994 / Pattern and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Klug A., Rhodes D.
- Trends Biochem. Sci. 12:464-469(1987).
- [ 2] Evans R.M., Hollenberg S.M.
- Cell 52:1-3(1988).
- [ 3] Payre F., Vincent A.
- FEBS Lett. 234:245-250(1988).
- [ 4] Miller J., Mc Lachlan A.D., Klug A.
- EMBO J. 4:1609-1614(1985).
- [ 5] Berg J.M.
- Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85:99-102(1988).
- [ 6] Rosenfeld R., Margalit H.
- J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 11:557-570(1993).
-