Zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 46 (ZBTB46) (ZBTB46)

Zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 46 (ZBTB46) is a transcription factor that serves as a lineage-specific marker for classical dendritic cells (cDCs) and their committed progenitors (Satpathy et al., 2012, J Exp Med). It is also expressed in endothelial cells, where it is known as RINZF and regulates vascular development and angiogenesis (Meredith et al., 2012, J Exp Med). ZBTB46 functions primarily as a transcriptional repressor, maintaining the identity of cDCs by preventing their diversion into other myeloid lineages (Meredith et al., 2012, J Exp Med). In the tumor microenvironment, ZBTB46-expressing cDCs are critical for cross-presenting antigens to CD8+ T cells, making the protein a key focus for cancer immunotherapy research (Böttcher et al., 2018, Cell). While no clinical-stage drugs currently target ZBTB46 mRNA or protein directly, experimental approaches using siRNA or viral vectors are employed in preclinical models to modulate immune responses or inhibit pathological angiogenesis (Hu et al., 2016, Oncotarget). Targeting ZBTB46 mRNA specifically would allow for the transient knockdown of the protein to study its role in immune evasion or to enhance vaccine efficacy.

Other names

BTBD4BZOTRINZFZinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 46

Transcriptional regulation of genes involved in dendritic cell identity and endothelial cell function.