What is the secondary structure of zinc-finger?

The “finger” refers to the secondary structures (α-helix and β-sheet) that are held together by the Zn ion. Zinc finger containing domains typically serve as interactors, binding DNA, RNA, proteins or small molecules (Laity et al., 2001).

Are zinc fingers sequence specific?

The zinc-finger transcription factors are among the best understood families in terms of sequence-specific DNA binding.

What type of protein is zinc-finger?

3.3 ZFNs. Zinc finger protein (ZFP) is a common DNA binding domain found in many transcription factors. It consists of ∼30 amino acids that may recognize three base pairs of DNA. Combining 3–6 ZFP in a molecule, it can recognize and bind to a specific DNA into the genome.

Is zinc-finger a protein motif?

A zinc finger is a small protein structural motif that is characterized by the coordination of one or more zinc ions (Zn2+) in order to stabilize the fold. It was originally coined to describe the finger-like appearance of a hypothesized structure from the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) transcription factor IIIA.

What is the function of zinc finger?

Zinc finger proteins are among the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic genomes. Their functions are extraordinarily diverse and include DNA recognition, RNA packaging, transcriptional activation, regulation of apoptosis, protein folding and assembly, and lipid binding.

What are zinc fingers used for?

The zinc-finger domain is one of the most frequently utilized DNA-binding motif found in eukaryotic transcriptional factors. The binding of a zinc-finger domain to its target site juxtaposes three base pairs on DNA to a few amino acids in the α-helix structure.

What do zinc finger motifs do?

Zinc finger motifs encode both histidine and cysteine which directly coordinate zinc and are known to bind to specific DNA sequences and regulate DNA replication (Vallee & Auld, 1995).

What do zinc fingers interact with?

Zinc-finger proteins (ZNFs) are one of the most abundant groups of proteins and have a wide range of molecular functions. Given the wide variety of zinc-finger domains, ZNFs are able to interact with DNA, RNA, PAR (poly-ADP-ribose) and other proteins.

How do zinc finger nucleases work?

Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) are artificial restriction enzymes generated by fusing a zinc finger DNA-binding domain to a DNA-cleavage domain. Zinc finger domains can be engineered to target specific desired DNA sequences and this enables zinc-finger nucleases to target unique sequences within complex genomes.