CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 7 (CNOT7)

CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 7 (CNOT7) is a highly conserved enzyme that forms part of the multi-subunit CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex, which is the major cytoplasmic machinery responsible for deadenylation—removal of the poly(A) tail from mRNA transcripts, leading to mRNA decay and regulation of gene expression[1][2][4]. CNOT7 possesses 3'-5' poly(A) exoribonuclease activity and works in concert with related subunits such as CNOT8, showing partial functional redundancy[6]. The protein also participates in transcriptional regulatory events: it suppresses or potentiates transcription of specific genes, in part by interacting with nuclear hormone receptors (e.g., estrogen and retinoic acid receptors) and members of the BTG/Tob family of cell cycle regulatory proteins[2][3][4][5]. CNOT7 is essential for cell proliferation and viability in mammalian cells, with roles in mRNA turnover, cell cycle progression, and possibly in immune and metabolic function. Loss of CNOT7 in mice results in male infertility and altered bone formation but is otherwise compatible with life, highlighting tissue-specific dependencies[3][4]. No drugs are currently approved to directly target CNOT7, and its central function in mRNA biology and gene regulation suggests that indiscriminate inhibition could result in broad and severe phenotypic effects.

Other names

CAF1CAF-1BTG1-binding factor 1CCR4-associated factor 1Caf1aBTG1 binding factor 1hCAF-1carbon catabolite repressor protein (CCR4)-associative factor 1

Not targeted by approved drugs; as an endogenous enzyme, functions by enzymatic removal of poly(A) tails from mRNA substrates, regulating transcript stability and gene expression