Zinc finger protein 57
Developmental stage
Expression peaks between 11 dpc and 17 dpc, and decreases from P0 to P28. Expressed in lung throughout embryonic development. At 12 dpc, expressed in spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve. At 15 dpc, highly expressed in all neural tissues. At P0, expressed in brain and spinal cord. Present in Schwann cells at 16 dpc and P0 (at protein level). Maternal product is present in preimplantation embryos. Expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Down-regulated when embryonic stem cells differentiate.
Domain
The KRAB domain is required for function as transcriptional repressor.
Zinc fingers 2 and 3 mediate recognition of the target element, ZF2 interacting with the 5' half (TGC) and ZF3 interacting with the 3' half (CGC).
Function
Transcription regulator required to maintain maternal and paternal gene imprinting, a process by which gene expression is restricted in a parent of origin-specific manner by epigenetic modification of genomic DNA and chromatin, including DNA methylation. Acts by controlling DNA methylation during the earliest multicellular stages of development at multiple imprinting control regions (ICRs) (PubMed:15070898, PubMed:18854139, PubMed:23059534, PubMed:30602440). Acts together with ZNF445, but ZFP57 plays the predominant role in imprinting maintenance. In contrast, in humans, ZNF445 seems to be the major factor early embryonic imprinting maintenance (PubMed:30602440). Required for the establishment of maternal methylation imprints at SNRPN locus. Acts as a transcriptional repressor in Schwann cells. Binds to a 5'-TGCCGC-3' consensus sequence and recognizes the methylated CpG within this element (PubMed:15070898, PubMed:18854139, PubMed:23059534).
Sequence Similarities
Belongs to the krueppel C2H2-type zinc-finger protein family.
Tissue Specificity
Expressed in oocytes and in a subset of adult tissues. Expressed at high levels in testis, and at low levels in cerebellum. Present in sciatic nerve and spinal cord (at protein level).
Cellular localization
- Nucleus
- Binds various differentially methylated regions (DMR), including the Snrpn DMR.
Alternative names
Zinc finger protein 57, Zfp-57, Zfp57