Inhibition of NF-κB by ZAS3, a zinc-finger protein that also binds to the κB motif

Abstract

The ZAS proteins are large zinc-finger transcriptional proteins implicated in growth, signal transduction, and lymphoid development. Recombinant ZAS fusion proteins containing one of the two DNA-binding domains have been shown to bind specifically to the κB motif, but the endogenous ZAS proteins or their physiological functions are largely unknown. The κB motif, GGGACTTTCC, is a gene regulatory element found in promoters and enhancers of genes involved in immunity, inflammation, and growth. The Rel family of NF-κB, predominantly p65.p50 and p50.p50, are transcription factors well known for inducing gene expression by means of interaction with the κB motif during acute-phase responses. A functional link between ZAS and NF-κB, two distinct families of κB-binding proteins, stems from our previous in vitro studies that show that a representative member, ZAS3, associates with TRAF2, an adaptor molecule in tumor necrosis factor signaling, to inhibit NF-κB activation. Biochemical and genetic evidence presented herein shows that ZAS3 encodes major κB-binding proteins in B lymphocytes, and that NF-κB is constitutively activated in ZAS3-deficient B cells. The data suggest that ZAS3 plays crucial functions in maintaining cellular homeostasis, at least in part by inhibiting NF-κB by means of three mechanisms: inhibition of nuclear translocation of p65, competition for κB gene regulatory elements, and repression of target gene transcription.