Is a zinc finger a domain?

The zinc-finger domain is one of the most frequently utilized DNA-binding motif found in eukaryotic transcriptional factors. The binding of a zinc-finger domain to its target site juxtaposes three base pairs on DNA to a few amino acids in the α-helix structure.

What are the other types of zinc finger domains?

The most common “fold groups” of zinc fingers are the Cys2His2-like (the “classic zinc finger”), treble clef, and zinc ribbon. Two ligands from a knuckle and two more from the c terminus of a helix. Two ligands from a knuckle and two more from a short helix or loop.

Which protein contains a zinc finger domain?

Zinc finger domains are one of the most common structural motifs in eukaryotic cells, which employ the motif in some of their most important proteins (including TFIIIA, CTCF, and ZiF268). These DNA binding proteins contain up to 37 zinc finger domains connected by flexible linker regions.

What is zinc finger technology?

Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are a class of engineered DNA-binding proteins that facilitate targeted editing of the genome by creating double-strand breaks in DNA at user-specified locations.

What is C2H2 zinc finger?

C2H2 zinc fingers (Cys2-His2) represent one of the most common domains found in the TFs of higher eukaryotes. The classical C2H2 domain of 28–30 aa includes a β-hairpin (antiparallel β-sheet consisting of two β-strands), followed by an α-helix, which form a left-handed ββα structure (Fig. 1A).

What are the secondary structural elements that comprise a zinc finger?

A zinc finger protein contains two cysteine amino acids and two histidine amino acids which simultaneously bind to a single zinc atom. These four amino acids are contained within a 30 amino acid sequence that folds into a two-stranded beta sheet and short alpha helix.

What is ZFN and TALEN?

ZFN is a gene editing technique based on Zinc finger nucleases while TALEN is a gene editing technique based on fusion proteins composed of a bacterial TALE protein and Fok1 endonuclease, and CRISPR is a natural RNA based bacterial defence mechanism that is driven by two types of RNA and associated Cas proteins.

What are the two domains of zinc finger nucleases ZFNs )?

Each Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) consists of two functional domains: a.) A DNA-binding domain comprised of a chain of two-finger modules, each recognizing a unique hexamer (6 bp) sequence of DNA. Two-finger modules are stitched together to form a Zinc Finger Protein, each with specificity of ≥ 24 bp. b.)