Zfp366, also known as DC-SCRIPT, is a transcription regulator. It is involved in multiple transcriptional events, such as estrogen and progesterone receptor-mediated transcription, and promotes CDKN2B-related cell cycle arrest. It is likely to play an important role in maintaining normal physiological processes related to mammary gland development and spinal cord injury recovery [1,3].

In mammary gland development, DC-SCRIPT knockout mice showed severe breeding problems and significant growth delay compared to wild-type littermates. DC-SCRIPT was expressed in mouse mammary epithelium, and its deficiency delayed mammary gland morphogenesis in vivo. In 3D mammary gland organoid cultures, loss of DC-SCRIPT dramatically delayed mammary organoid branching in vitro. Further study revealed that DC-SCRIPT affects mammary organoid branching morphogenesis by modulating the FGFR1-pERK signaling axis. The decreased expression of FGFR1 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in DC-SCRIPT-deficient organoids was observed [1,2].

In conclusion, Zfp366 is a key regulator in mammary gland development, influencing its morphogenesis through the FGFR1-pERK signaling axis. The use of gene knockout mouse models has provided important insights into the role of Zfp366 in mammary gland-related processes. Additionally, it is also a target of microRNA-409 in spinal cord injury recovery, highlighting its potential significance in injury-related biological processes [1,2,3].

References:

1. Tang, Chunling, van den Bijgaart, Renske J E, Looman, Maaike W G, Ansems, Marleen, Adema, Gosse J. 2019. DC-SCRIPT deficiency delays mouse mammary gland development and branching morphogenesis. In Developmental biology, 455, 42-50. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.06.023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31265831/

2. Tang, Chunling, van den Bijgaart, Renske J E, Looman, Maaike W G, Ansems, Marleen, Adema, Gosse J. 2020. DC-SCRIPT affects mammary organoids branching morphogenesis by modulating the FGFR1-pERK signaling axis. In Developmental biology, 463, 101-109. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.05.001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32422143/

3. Lin, C-A, Duan, K-Y, Wang, X-W, Zhang, Z-S. . MicroRNA-409 promotes recovery of spinal cord injury by regulating ZNF366. In European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 22, 3649-3655. doi:10.26355/eurrev_201806_15242. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29949136/