ZBTB 16 ( zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16 )

Description 540 and 673 amino acids, 62 and 74 kDa (PLZFa and b respectively); Krüppel-like zinc finger protein; N-term BTB/POZ domain (protein-protein interaction motif) and 9 zinc finger domains in C-term. Expression Highly specific for hematopoietic cells; during mouse development, PLZF is expressed in embryonic tissus, giving rise to hematopoietic progenitors; in man, PLZF is expressed in CD34+ progenitor cells and in primitive multipotent hematopoietic cell lines; PLZF levels decrease progressively with cell maturation and also with maturation induced by ATRA treatment. Localisation Nuclear; immunodetection shows a nuclear speckeled distribution of PLZF, resulting from a localization on discrete nuclear bodies whose formation is dependent on the integrity of the BTB/POZ domain. Function Putative transcription factor associated with myeloid differentiation; sequence specific DNA binding activity; in co-transfection experiments, PLZF has been shown to represse the transcription. Homology With the zinc finger MZF-1.