Banp, short for BTG3-associated nuclear protein, is a significant transcription factor. It binds to the CGCG element in the mouse and human genome and is a strong activator of CpG-island (CGI) promoters, controlling essential metabolic genes in pluripotent stem and neuronal cells [1]. It is also involved in regulating DNA damage response and chromosome segregation during the cell cycle [2].

In zebrafish retina, Banp mutants show mitotic cell accumulation and apoptosis. DNA replication stress and tp53-dependent DNA damage responses are activated in these mutants, suggesting Banp is required for DNA replication and damage repair. Also, chromosome segregation is disrupted in Banp morphants, with a prolonged M-phase. RNA-and ATAC-sequencing identified 31 candidates for direct Banp target genes, including genes related to DNA replication fork regulation (wrnip1) and chromosome segregation regulation (cenpt and ncapg) [2].

In conclusion, Banp is crucial for cell-cycle progression and cell survival as it regulates DNA damage responses and chromosome segregation during mitosis. Understanding Banp's functions through models like zebrafish mutants can potentially contribute to the development of new cancer treatments by providing insights into how tumors grow and spread [2].

References:

1. Grand, Ralph S, Burger, Lukas, Gräwe, Cathrin, Vermeulen, Michiel, Schübeler, Dirk. 2021. BANP opens chromatin and activates CpG-island-regulated genes. In Nature, 596, 133-137. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03689-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34234345/

2. Babu, Swathy, Takeuchi, Yuki, Masai, Ichiro. 2022. Banp regulates DNA damage response and chromosome segregation during the cell cycle in zebrafish retina. In eLife, 11, . doi:10.7554/eLife.74611. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35942692/