Zfp35, a Kruppel-type zinc finger protein, contains 18 zinc-finger motifs. Zinc finger proteins are a class of regulatory transcription factors crucial for cellular development and function. Zfp35 may be involved in regulating gene activity during specific biological processes, and its study through genetic models like mouse models can reveal its functions [1,2,3].

In Zfp35-deficient (Zfp35(-/-)) mice, Th2 cell differentiation, Th2 cytokine production, eosinophilic inflammation, and airway hyper-responsiveness were enhanced. Adoptive transfer of Ag-sensitized Zfp35(-/-) CD4 T cells into asthmatic mice also led to enhanced airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness. This indicates that Zfp35 negatively controls Th2 cell differentiation, allergic airway inflammation, and airway hyper-responsiveness, suggesting it may play a role in controlling Th2-dependent diseases such as allergic asthma [1]. Additionally, Zfp35 is transiently expressed during spermatogenesis, specifically in pachytene spermatocytes, suggesting it may control gene activity at this stage [2].

In conclusion, Zfp35 plays important roles in controlling Th2-cell-related allergic inflammation and spermatogenesis. The Zfp35-deficient mouse model has revealed its negative regulatory role in Th2-dependent diseases like allergic asthma, contributing to the understanding of the pathogenesis of such diseases and potentially providing new insights for treatment strategies [1,2].

References:

1. Kitajima, Masayuki, Iwamura, Chiaki, Miki-Hosokawa, Takako, Yamashita, Masakatsu, Nakayama, Toshinori. 2009. Enhanced Th2 cell differentiation and allergen-induced airway inflammation in Zfp35-deficient mice. In Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 183, 5388-96. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.0804155. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19783676/

2. Cunliffe, V, Koopman, P, McLaren, A, Trowsdale, J. . A mouse zinc finger gene which is transiently expressed during spermatogenesis. In The EMBO journal, 9, 197-205. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2104800/

3. Cunliffe, V, Williams, S, Trowsdale, J. . Genomic analysis of a mouse zinc finger gene, Zfp-35, that is up-regulated during spermatogenesis. In Genomics, 8, 331-9. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2249852/