Structural and functional organization of the HF.10 human zinc finger gene (ZNF35) located on chromosome 3p21–p22

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 720 - 728
• Main Authors: Lanfrancone, Luisa, Pengue, Gina, Pandolfi, Pier-Paolo, Salcini, Anna Elisabetta, Giacomucci, Angelo, Longo, Letizia, Donti, Emilio, De Luca, Pasquale, La Mantia, Girolama, Pelicci, Pier-Giuseppe, Lania, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.04.1992; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; chromosome 3; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; DNA - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genes. Genome; Humans; man; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Pseudogenes; restriction endonuclease mapping; Trans-Activators - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; zinc finger proteins; Zinc Fingers - genetics; ZNF35 gene; Genetic mapping; Human; Pseudogene; Nucleotide sequence; Transcription promoter; Zinc finger structure; DNA binding protein; Chromosome DNA; Gene organization; Molecular cloning; A3-Chromosome
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/0888-7543(92)90301-8

We report the structural and functional characterization of the HF.10 zinc finger gene (ZNF35) in normal human cells, as well as a processed pseudogene. The HF.10 gene spans about 13 kb and it is interrupted by three introns. All 11 zinc finger DNA-binding domains are contiguously encoded within the last 3′ exon. The genomic region surrounding HF.10 exon 1 contains a CpG island and acts as a promoter in vitro. Using transient CAT assay in cotransfection experiments in cultured cells, we have determined that the HF.10 finger protein is a transcriptional transactivator. Restriction enzyme mapping and partial nucleotide sequencing of the HF.10 pseudogene indicated that is has arisen by retroposition of spliced HF.10 mRNA. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that both the functional locus and the pseudogene map to chromosome 3p21p22, a region that is frequently deleted in small cell lung and renal carcinomas. Hybridization of the HF.10 gene and the HF.10 pseudogene DNA probes to metaphases from a small cell lung carcinoma cell line with the 3p deletion revealed that both loci are part of the deleted chromosome region.