Zinc Finger And BTB Domain Containing Protein 49 (ZBTB49)

ZNF509, is induced by p53 and may be a tumor suppressor. ZNF509 is a potent transcriptional activator of CDKN1A encoding cell cycle arrest gene, p21. EMSA, oligo pull-down, and ChIP assays showed that ZNF509 directly binds to proximal promoter region of p21 in vitro and in vivo. Also ZNF509 and MIZ-1 interact with each other and synergistically activate transcription of p21 gene. The molecular interaction recruits more co-activator p300 to the p21 proximal promoter. The ZNF509-MIZ-1-p300 complex acetylates histone Ac-H3 and -H4 at the p21 proximal promoter. Knockdown of endogenous ZNF509 expression results in decrease in the transcription of p21 gene, which increases cell proliferation and DNA synthesis. ZNF509 is a potent transcription activator of the cell cycle arrest gene p21 and may be a tumor suppressor gene.