Cloning and characterization of ZNF189, a novel human Krüppel-like zinc finger gene localized to chromosome 9q22-q31.

A 3-kb-long cDNA encoding a Krüppel-like human zinc finger protein was isolated and mapped to chromosome 9q22-q31. The ZNF189 gene encodes a protein with 16 zinc fingers at its C-terminus and belongs to the Krüppel-associated box (KRAB)-containing group of zinc finger proteins. Four differently spliced cDNA transcripts, differing at the 5' coding region where a KRAB A repressor domain is encoded, were isolated. In addition, Northern blot analysis indicates the presence of two additional unidentified splice variants. Comparison of cDNA and genomic sequences shows that the ZNF189 gene spans approximately 11 kb and is organized into at least four exons, the large 3'-end exon coding for the complete zinc finger domain and the 3' untranslated region. ZNF189 is expressed in all tissues and cell types currently investigated, at varying levels, but with a tissue- or cell-type-restricted expression pattern for the different splice variants. ZNF189 is conserved in the genome of several mammalian species. Direct sequencing of the ZNF189 gene in microdissected tumor biopsies of sporadic basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma reveals no mutations in the coding sequence or at exon/intron boundaries.