ZFPs
Zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are a large and diverse family of proteins defined by the presence of zinc finger motifs, which coordinate zinc ions to stabilize folds that can bind DNA, RNA, or other proteins. The most common DNA-binding domains are C2H2-type zinc fingers, arranged in tandem arrays to recognize longer DNA sequences. Some ZFPs also contain additional domains, such as KRAB, SCAN, or BTB/POZ, that influence function and interactions.
Many ZFPs act as transcription factors that regulate gene expression by binding specific regulatory DNA elements,
ZFPs form one of the largest vertebrate gene families, with hundreds of genes in humans. They have
ZFPs participate in development, differentiation, stem cell biology, metabolism, and stress responses. Aberrant ZFP activity or
Zinc finger domains have been engineered for targeted genome manipulation, notably in zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs),