Nucleotide sequence and cell cycle-associated differential expression of ZF5128, a novel Kruppel type zinc finger protein gene.

The nucleotide sequence of the ZF5128 gene, encoding a novel Kruppel type zinc finger protein, has been determined. The ZF5128 gene has a predicted 553-amino acid open reading frame, encoding a putative 61 kDa zinc finger protein. The N-terminus of the ZF5128 coding region has a well-conserved Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) domain that consists of KRAB box A and B, whereas the C-terminus contains a Kruppel type C2H2 zinc finger domain possessing nine C2H2 zinc finger motifs in tandem arrays with the highly conserved space region of the H/C-link. Each C2H2 zinc finger motif has a typical consensus sequence of CX2CX3FX5LX2HX3H. A 3.2 kb transcript specific for ZF5128 was expressed at high levels in the spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood leukocyte, and weakly expressed in the prostate, ovary, small intestine, colon (mucosal lining), placenta, lung, and pancreas. Although there was no detectable ZF5128 mRNA in unstimulated human peripheral T cells, it was first detectable 1.5 h after activation by anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28, and reached a maximum in 25-30 h. During the cell cycle progression of Jurkat T cells, the expression of ZF5128 mRNA appeared to be induced in G1 and reached a maximum in the S phase, but declined as the cells entered the G2/M phase. The 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-induced monocytic differentiation of U937, which also resulted in growth arrest, down-regulated the expression of ZF5128 mRNA. Taken together, these results indicate that ZF5128 is a novel gene encoding a Kruppel type C2H2 zinc finger protein and is regulated at the transcriptional level depending on tissue type and the cell cycle status to support cell proliferation.