Zinc finger protein 146 (ZNF146)

Zinc finger protein 146 (ZNF146), also known as OZF or Only zinc finger protein, is a C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor encoded by the *ZNF146* gene on human chromosome 19[1][2][3]. It contains 10 zinc finger motifs and lacks other well-characterized regulatory domains such as the KRAB domain[1]. ZNF146 is widely expressed in human tissues and is predominantly located in the cytosol and nucleolus[2]. Its major function is as a sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor, regulating gene expression through interaction with RNA polymerase II and binding to cis-regulatory DNA elements[1][2][3]. ZNF146 is notable for its specific binding to both young and old LINE-1 (L1) repetitive elements at the 3' end of their ORF2 region, potentially influencing genomic stability and organization[1].\n\nZNF146 has been shown to be overexpressed in several cancers and may be involved in cell cycle progression, with studies indicating a regulatory role involving TFDP1 and DEPDC1B in ovarian cancer cells[5]. It has also been implicated in telomere maintenance through association with the telomeric protein Rap1 and appears to play a part in controlling DNA replication fork progression under conditions of replication stress[1]. Despite these associations, ZNF146 is not currently established as a direct therapeutic target, and no drugs are known to act directly on ZNF146; its role is more often as a potential biomarker for malignancy or a genomic regulator[1][2][5].

Other names

OZFOnly zinc finger proteinZinc finger protein OZFOnly Zinc FingersZNF146