Fetal Liver Zinc Finger Protein 1 (Fliz1)

Fliz1 is expressed in fetal liver hematopoietic progenitors and in several adult organs, including the thymus. Overexpression of human Fliz1 in adult animals resulted in a substantial decrease in total number of thymocytes due to enhanced apoptosis, whereas maturation of thymocytes remained undisturbed. The Fliz1-induced apoptosis is dependent on the N-terminus of Fliz1, which contains an acidic and a serine-rich domains, and might be due to augmented expression of bad, a pro-apoptotic gene. Fliz1 plays a role in regulating thymocyte homeostasis. Fliz1 was preferentially expressed in fetal liver-derived haematopoietic progenitor cells. In adult animals, low levels of Fliz1 transcripts can be detected in several organs, including the thymus suggesting that Fliz1 might play a role in regulating the development/maturation of T cells.