Repression of transcriptional activity by heterologous KRAB domains present in zinc finger proteins

• Published in: FEBS letters 1995-08, Vol.369 (2), p.153-157
• Main Authors: Vissing, H., Meyer, W.K.-H., Aagaard, L., Tommerup, N., Thiesen, H.-J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; Conserved Sequence; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-protein interaction; GAL4 fusion protein; Humans; Isomerases - blood; Isomerases - chemistry; Isomerases - genetics; KRAB domain; Molecular Sequence Data; Protein Disulfide-Isomerases; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis; Repressor Proteins - blood; Repressor Proteins - chemistry; Repressor Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Transcription, Genetic; Transcriptional repression; Zinc finger protein domain; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(95)00728-R

We report the characterization of three novel members of the KRAB-domain-containing C 2H 2 zinc finger family (ZNF133, 136 and 140). KRAB ( Krüppel-associated box) is an evolutionarily conserved protein domain found N-terminally with respect to the zinc finger repeats that encodes the DNA binding domain. ZNF133 and ZNF140 have both the KRAB A- and KRAB B-boxes present at their N-terminus, whereas ZNF136 contains only the KRAB A-box. We have previously demonstrated that the KRAB domains derived from ZNF133 and ZNF140 are potent transcriptional repression domains [Margolin et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 4509–4513]. The KRAB domain from ZNF136, containing only subdomain A, is a considerable weaker suppression domain; however, when fused to the heterologous KRAB B subdomain of ZNF10 (KOX1) the two subdomains form a KRAB domain which induces repression as potently as previously reported KRAB domains.