Zfp326, also known as zinc finger protein 326, is a gene whose functions are being increasingly explored. As a zinc finger protein, it likely plays a role in DNA-binding and may be involved in transcriptional regulation. Given its presence in various tissues and the association with different biological processes, it holds biological importance in understanding normal physiological functions and disease mechanisms [4,5].

In mouse studies, Zfp326 has been associated with antidepressant treatment response. The expression of Zfp326 in the thalamus of FVB mice was down-regulated by fluoxetine in the forced swim test (FST), and in other brain regions like the frontal cortex, striatum, and hypothalamus, the expression differences between FVB and B6 mice diminished after fluoxetine treatment. In humans, two coding-synonymous SNPs in the human homologue ZNF326 were significantly associated with 8-week antidepressant treatment response in major depressive disorder patients, suggesting its role in antidepressant-related biological processes [2]. Additionally, in a mouse model of paraquat-induced neurotoxicity, lncRNA NR_030777 alleviates neurotoxicity by regulating the expression of Zfp326, indicating its involvement in neurodegenerative-related pathways [1,3].

In conclusion, Zfp326 appears to be involved in important biological processes related to antidepressant response and neurodegenerative pathways. The studies using mouse models, especially in the context of antidepressant treatment and paraquat-induced neurotoxicity, have provided valuable insights into its functions. Understanding Zfp326's role can potentially contribute to the development of new strategies for treating depression and neurodegenerative disorders.

References:

1. Yang, Hongyu, Lin, Qingxia, Chen, Nengzhou, Wang, Yuan-Liang, Li, Huangyuan. . LncRNA NR_030777 Alleviates Paraquat-Induced Neurotoxicity by Regulating Zfp326 and Cpne5. In Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology, 178, 173-188. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfaa121. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32735315/

2. Liou, Ying-Jay, Chen, Chien-Hsiun, Cheng, Chih-Ya, Tsai, Shih-Jen, Hong, Chen-Jee. 2012. Convergent evidence from mouse and human studies suggests the involvement of zinc finger protein 326 gene in antidepressant treatment response. In PloS one, 7, e32984. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032984. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22666313/

3. Wang, Lijin, Yang, Hongyu, Wang, Qingqing, Wu, Siying, Li, Huangyuan. 2018. Paraquat and MPTP induce alteration in the expression profile of long noncoding RNAs in the substantia nigra of mice: Role of the transcription factor Nrf2. In Toxicology letters, 291, 11-28. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.04.002. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29627306/

4. Lee, J Y, Kambe, M, Hayashi, M, Takenaga, K. . Cloning and characterization of a novel zinc finger protein that associates with nuclear matrix. In DNA and cell biology, 17, 849-58. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9809746/

5. Lee, J Y, Nakane, Y, Koshikawa, N, Hayashi, M, Takenaga, K. . Characterization of a zinc finger protein ZAN75: nuclear localization signal, transcriptional activator activity, and expression during neuronal differentiation of P19 cells. In DNA and cell biology, 19, 227-34. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10798446/