Basic leucine zipper and W2 domain-containing protein 1 (BZW1)

Basic leucine zipper and W2 domain-containing protein 1 (BZW1) is a multifunctional regulatory protein characterized by a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) and C-terminal W2 domain, which is homologous to translation initiation factor eIF5[1][2]. BZW1 acts as an eIF5-mimic, modulating the fidelity of translation initiation by enhancing the stringency of start codon selection, thus restricting non-AUG initiation events[4][5]. It is implicated in both translational control and cell cycle regulation. In the nucleus, BZW1 can also act as a transcriptional coregulator, activating genes such as histone H4[3]. BZW1 is frequently overexpressed in various cancers and is associated with increased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and poor clinical prognosis[1][3]. In normal physiology, BZW1 is essential for early embryonic development, particularly in ensuring proper protein synthesis and lineage differentiation in preimplantation embryos[5]. No drugs currently target BZW1 directly, though its roles in oncogenesis and translation make it a potential therapeutic target and biomarker.

Other names

eIF5-mimic protein 25MP2BZAP45KIAA0005Protein OrfNbla10236basic leucine-zipper protein BZAP45putative protein product of Nbla10236

Mimics and competitively inhibits eIF5 function to regulate translation initiation; Enhances stringency of start codon selection, restricting inappropriate (non-AUG) translation initiation