GLIS1

Description

The GLIS1 (GLIS family zinc finger 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.

GLIS1 (Glis Family Zinc Finger 1) is a gene encoding a Krüppel-like protein of the same name found on Chromosome 1p32.3. The gene is enriched in unfertilized eggs and embryos at the one cell stage and can be used to promote direct reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). Glis1 is a highly promiscuous transcription factor, regulating the expression of numerous genes, either positively or negatively. In organisms, Glis1 does not appear to have any directly important functions. Mice whose Glis1 gene has been removed have no noticeable change to their phenotype.

GLIS1 is an 84.3 kDa proline-rich protein composed of 789 amino acids. No crystal structure has yet been determined for GLIS1, however, it is homologous to other proteins in many parts of its amino acid sequence whose structures have been solved.

GLIS1 uses a Zinc finger domain comprising five tandem Cys2His2 zinc finger motifs to interact with target DNA sequences to regulate gene transcription. The domain interacts sequence specifically with the DNA, following the major groove along the double helix. It has the consensus sequence GACCACCCAC. The individual zinc finger motifs are separated from one another by the amino acid sequence (T/S)GEKP(Y/F)X, where X can be any amino acid and (A/B) can be either A or B. This domain is homologous to the zinc finger domain found in Gli1 and so is thought to interact with DNA in the same way.

GLIS1 acts as both a repressor and an activator of transcription. It binds to the consensus sequence 5'-GACCACCCAC-3' and by controlling the expression of genes involved in cell differentiation, it inhibits the lineage commitment of multipotent cells. For example, it prevents the differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal cells into adipocytes and osteoblasts.

GLIS1 is also known as -.

Associated Diseases

WES Whole Exome Sequencing