Zinc Finger Protein 76 (ZNF76)

ZNF76 is a member of the GLI-Kruppel family of DNA binding proteins. It is conserved in mouse where transcription in testis is initiated at day 20 after birth. The mouse tcp-11 gene is located in the distal inversion of the t-complex and is developmentally regulated in the same manner as ZNF76. They are expressed in testis at exactly the same time.Like Staf, both ZNF76 and ZNF143 contain 7 zinc fingers and an activation domain with the mRNA and snRNA activation regions. Both proteins bound Staf-responsive elements in vitro. When expressed in Drosophila cells, both activated transcription from an mRNA promoter through the Staf binding site. Chimeric ZNF76 and ZNF143 proteins activated a pol II mRNA promoter, as well as pol II and pol III snRNA promoters, in Xenopus oocytes.