Identification and characterization of DC-SCRIPT, a novel dendritic cell-expressed member of the zinc finger family of transcriptional regulators

J Immunol. 2006 Jan 15;176(2):1081-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.176.2.1081.

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DC) compose a heterogeneous population of cells that hold a leading role in initiating and directing immune responses. Although their function in recognizing, capturing, and presenting Ags is well defined, the molecular mechanisms that control their differentiation and immune functions are still largely unknown. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of DC-SCRIPT, a novel protein encoded by an 8-kb mRNA that is preferentially expressed in DC. DC-SCRIPT is expressed in multiple DC subsets in vivo, including myeloid DC, plasmacytoid DC, and Langerhans cells. At the protein level, DC-SCRIPT consists of a proline-rich region, 11 C2H2-type zinc fingers, and an acidic region. Localization studies reveal that DC-SCRIPT resides in the nucleus and that nuclear localization is critically dependent on the zinc fingers. The protein displays no transcriptional activation properties according to assorted transactivation assays, but interacts with the corepressor C-terminal binding protein 1. Taken together, our results show that we have isolated a novel DC marker that could be involved in transcriptional repression. In contrast to other DC molecules, DC-SCRIPT identifies all DC subsets tested to date.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Oxidoreductases
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / chemistry
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • Zinc Fingers / genetics

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • ZNF366 protein, human
  • Alcohol Oxidoreductases
  • C-terminal binding protein