Anti-ZFP157 (aa 141-154) polyclonal antibody

The A20/AN1-type zinc finger protein family is conserved in animals and plants. Using human AWP1 protein as a query, we identified twelve A20/AN1-type zinc finger proteins in japonica rice. Most of these genes were constitutively expressed in leaves, roots, culms and spikes. Through microarray analysis, it was found that four genes (ZFP177, ZFP181, ZFP176, ZFP173), two genes (ZFP181 and ZFP176) and one gene (ZFP157) were significantly induced by cold, drought and H2O2 treatments, respectively. Further expression analysis showed that ZFP177 was responsive to both cold and heat stresses, but down-regulated by salt. The subcellular localization assay indicated that ZFP177 was localized in cytoplasm in tobacco leaf and root cells. Yeast-one hybrid assay showed that ZFP177 lacked trans-activation potential in yeast cells. Overexpression of ZFP177 in tobacco conferred tolerance of transgenic plants to both low and high temperature stresses, but increased sensitivity to salt and drought stresses. Further we found expression levels of some stress-related genes were inhibited in ZFP177 transgenic plants. These results suggested that ZFP177 might play crucial but differential roles in plant responses to various abiotic stresses. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulation of DNA replication and cell division is essential for tissue growth and maintenance of genomic integrity and is particularly important in tissues that undergo continuous regeneration such as mammary glands. We have previously shown that disruption of the KRAB-domain zinc finger protein Roma/Zfp157 results in hyperproliferation of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) during pregnancy. Here, we delineate the mechanism by which Roma engenders this phenotype. Ablation of Roma in MECs leads to unscheduled proliferation, replication stress, DNA damage, and genomic instability. Furthermore, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) depleted for Roma exhibit downregulation of p21(Cip1) and geminin and have accelerated replication fork velocities, which is accompanied by a high rate of mitotic errors and polyploidy. In contrast, overexpression of Roma in MECs halts cell-cycle progression, whereas siRNA-mediated p21(Cip1) knockdown ameliorates, in part, this phenotype. Thus, Roma is an essential regulator of the cell cycle and is required to maintain genomic stability.