Zinc finger protein 143 (ZNF143)

Zinc finger protein 143 (ZNF143) is a widely expressed transcription factor of the C2H2-type zinc finger family, containing seven tandem zinc finger domains that mediate sequence-specific DNA binding. It regulates transcription of both protein-coding and small RNA genes by RNA polymerases II and III and is known to bind over 2,000 promoter regions, including those for mRNA, snRNA, and selenocysteine tRNA genes[1][2][4]. ZNF143 is necessary for efficient RNA polymerase III transcription and is involved in chromatin loop formation by cooperating with other chromatin architectural proteins such as CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and cohesin, contributing to higher-order genome organization and promoter–enhancer communication[1][3]. ZNF143 is differentially expressed in tissues, highly elevated in several cancers, and implicated in cancer cell survival, proliferation, and drug resistance, making it a putative therapeutic target and biomarker in oncology[1][4]. Its essential functions in embryonic development, cell cycle regulation, and maintenance of stem cell identity underscore its central role in gene regulation and cell fate determination[1][2]. No approved drugs are currently known to directly target ZNF143, but modulation of its activity is an area of interest for tumor biology and chemoresistance[1].

Other names

StafSBFSPH-binding factorhStafpHZ-1Selenocysteine tRNA gene transcription-activating factortranscriptional activator Staf