Grant: Operating Grant

One of the largest classes of proteins in the human genome - encompassing ~700 of the ~22,000 known human protein-coding genes - is the C2H2 zinc fingers. These proteins are primarily believed to bind to specific DNA sequences and thereby regulate the expression, accessibility, and topology of the genome. Most, however, are simply uncharacterized. We propose to study the functions of proteins in the C2H2 class by exploring what sequences they bind, whether they bind DNA, RNA, or protein, and how the amino-acid sequence of the C2H2 zinc finger proteins relates to their biochemical and genetic functions.