Identification of a novel SCAN box-related protein that interacts with MZF1B. The leucine-rich SCAN box mediates hetero- and homoprotein associations.

The SCAN box or leucine-rich (LeR) domain is a conserved motif found within a subfamily of C(2)H(2) zinc finger proteins. The function of a SCAN box is unknown, but it is predicted to form alpha-helices that may be involved in protein-protein interactions. Myeloid zinc finger gene-1B (MZF1B) is an alternatively spliced human cDNA isoform of the zinc finger transcription factor, MZF1. MZF1 and MZF1B contain 13 C(2)H(2) zinc finger motifs, but only MZF1B contains an amino-terminal SCAN box. A bone marrow cDNA library was screened for proteins interacting with the MZF1B SCAN box domain and RAZ1 (SCAN-related protein associated with MZF1B) was identified. RAZ1 is a novel cDNA that encodes a SCAN-related domain and arginine-rich region but no zinc finger motifs. Co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate that the SCAN box domain of MZF1B is necessary for association with RAZ1. By yeast two-hybrid analysis, the carboxyl terminus of RAZ1 is sufficient for interaction with the MZF1B SCAN box. Furthermore, MZF1B and RAZ1 each self-associate in vitro via a SCAN box-dependent mechanism. These data provide evidence that the SCAN box is a protein interaction domain that mediates both hetero- and homoprotein associations.