{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nMammalian ZFY genes encode transcription factors that contain a series of zinc fingers and a large acidic transactivation domain. In mice, two distinct genes—Zfy1 and Zfy2—are predominantly expressed in the testis, with their expression dynamically regulated during spermatogenesis. Transcription of these genes increases as germ cells enter meiosis, is silenced during pachytene by meiotic sex chromosome inactivation, and then partially reactivated in spermatids. Notably, Zfy2 has been implicated in triggering apoptosis in spermatocytes bearing sex chromosome aberrations, suggesting a quality control role during gametogenesis. In humans, a testis-specific transcript of ZFY is expressed, encoding a protein with a shortened acidic domain that appears to be conserved in function despite its inability to activate transcription in yeast."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nThe differences in the structural domains of ZFY, particularly between the full acidic domain and its truncated version, likely underpin the distinct functions observed in the mouse Zfy paralogs. The short acidic domain present in the predominant transcripts of Zfy1 (prior to meiotic inactivation) and in the human testis-specific transcript seems insufficient for strong transactivation, which correlates with the functional divergence between Zfy1 and Zfy2. This nuanced control of transcription factor activity underscores a conserved yet context-dependent role for ZFY during spermatogenesis."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nIn a broader context, ZFY belongs to a family of ubiquitously expressed C2H2 zinc finger proteins that includes ZFX and ZNF711. Although the detailed mechanisms by which these transcription factors regulate gene expression remain to be fully elucidated, functional studies reveal that specific zinc finger clusters (notably fingers 11–13 in ZFX) are both necessary and sufficient for DNA binding, and, in combination with N‐terminal regions, for transactivation. These insights into the structural and functional domains of zinc finger proteins contribute to our understanding of transcriptional regulation in human cells and reinforce the importance of ZFY’s conserved regulatory roles in development."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Fanny Decarpentrie, Nadège Vernet, Shantha K Mahadevaiah, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Human and mouse ZFY genes produce a conserved testis-specific transcript encoding a zinc finger protein with a short acidic domain and modified transactivation potential."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hum Mol Genet (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/hmg/dds088"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/dds088"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22407129"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22407129"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Weiya Ni, Andrew A Perez, Shannon Schreiner, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Characterization of the ZFX family of transcription factors that bind downstream of the start site of CpG island promoters."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nucleic Acids Res (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/nar/gkaa384"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa384"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32406922"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32406922"}]}]}]}