ZNF569, a novel KRAB-containing zinc finger protein, suppresses MAPK signaling pathway

Gene network analyses of larvae under different egg-protecting behaviors provide novel insights into immune response mechanisms of Amphioctopus fangsiao

Amphioctopus fangsiao was a representative economic species in cephalopods, which was vulnerable to marine bacteria. Vibrio anguillarum was a highly infectious pathogen that have recently been found to infect A. fangsiao and inhibit its growth and development. There were significant differences in the immune response mechanisms between egg-protected and egg-unprotected larvae. To explore larval immunity under different egg-protecting behaviors, we infected A. fangsiao larvae with V. anguillarum for 24 h and analyzed the transcriptome data about egg-protected and egg-unprotected larvae infected with 0, 4, 12, and 24 h using weighted gene co-expression networks (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Network analyses revealed a series of immune response processes after infection, and identified six key modules and multiple immune-related hub genes. Meanwhile, we found that ZNF family, such as ZNF32, ZNF160, ZNF271, ZNF479, and ZNF493 might play significant roles in A. fangsiao immune response processes. We first creatively combined WGCNA and PPI network analysis to deeply explore the immune response mechanisms of A. fangsiao larvae with different egg-protecting behaviors. Our results provided further insights into the immunity of V. anguillarum infected invertebrates, and laid the foundation for exploring the immune differences among cephalopods with different egg protecting behaviors.

Zinc finger myeloid Nervy DEAF-1 type (ZMYND) domain containing proteins exert molecular interactions to implicate in carcinogenesis

Morphogenesis and organogenesis in the low organisms have been found to be modulated by a number of proteins, and one of such factor, deformed epidermal auto-regulatory factor-1 (DEAF-1) has been initially identified in Drosophila. The mammalian homologue of DEAF-1 and structurally related proteins have been identified, and they formed a family with over 20 members. The factors regulate gene expression through association with co-repressors, recognition of genomic marker, to exert histone modification by catalyze addition of some chemical groups to certain amino acid residues on histone and non-histone proteins, and degradation host proteins, so as to regulate cell cycle progression and execution of cell death. The formation of fused genes during chromosomal translocation, exemplified with myeloid transforming gene on chromosome 8 (MTG8)/eight-to-twenty one translocation (ETO) /ZMYND2, MTG receptor 1 (MTGR1)/ZMYND3, MTG on chromosome 16/MTGR2/ZMYND4 and BS69/ZMYND11 contributes to malignant transformation. Other anomaly like copy number variation (CNV) of BS69/ZMYND11 and promoter hyper methylation of BLU/ZMYND10 has been noted in malignancies. It has been reported that when fusing with Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), the binding of MTG8/ZMYND2 with co-repressors is disturbed, and silencing of BLU/ZMYND10 abrogates its ability to inhibition of cell cycle and promotion of apoptotic death. Further characterization of the implication of ZMYND proteins in carcinogenesis would enhance understanding of the mechanisms of occurrence and early diagnosis of tumors, and effective antitumor efficacy.

ZNF471 modulates EMT and functions as methylation regulated tumor suppressor with diagnostic and prognostic significance in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries. However, the underlying mechanisms and molecular targets for therapy remain to be fully understood. We investigated the epigenetic regulation, biological functions, and clinical utility of zinc-finger protein 471 (ZNF471) in CC. Analysis of cervical tissues and five independent public datasets of CC showed significant hypermethylation of the ZNF471 gene promoter. In CC cell lines, promoter DNA methylation was inversely correlated with ZNF471 expression. The sensitivity and specificity of the ZNF471 hypermethylation for squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) vs tumor and normal vs tumor was above 85% with AUC of 0.937. High methylation and low ZNF471 expression predicted poor overall and recurrence-free survival. We identified -686 to +114 bp as ZNF471 promoter, regulated by methylation using transient transfection and luciferase assays. The promoter CpG site methylation of ZNF471 was significantly different among cancer types and tumor grades. Gal4-based heterologous luciferase reporter gene assays revealed that ZNF471 acts as a transcriptional repressor. The retroviral mediated overexpression of ZNF471 in SiHa and CaSki cells inhibited growth, proliferation, cell migration, invasion; delayed cell cycle progression in vitro by increasing cell doubling time; and reduced tumor growth in vivo in nude mice. ZNF471 overexpression inhibited key members of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), Wnt, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. ZNF471 inhibited EMT by directly targeting vimentin as analyzed by bioinformatic analysis, ChIP-PCR, and western blotting. Thus, ZNF471 CpG specific promoter methylation may determine the prognosis of CC and could function as a potential tumor suppressor by targeting EMT signaling.

A DNA methylation-based test for esophageal cancer detection

Background

Esophageal cancer (ECa) is the 7th most incident cancer and the 6th leading cause of cancer-related death. Most patients are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease, enduring poor survival. Biomarkers enabling early cancer detection may improve patient management, treatment effectiveness, and survival, are urgently needed. In this context, epigenetic-based biomarkers such as DNA methylation are potential candidates.

Methods

Herein, we sought to identify and validate DNA methylation-based biomarkers for early detection and prediction of response to therapy in ECa patients. Promoter methylation levels were assessed in a series of treatment-naïve ECa, post-neoadjuvant treatment ECa, and normal esophagus tissues, using quantitative methylation-specific PCR for COL14A1, GPX3, and ZNF569.

Results

ZNF569 methylation (ZNF569me) levels significantly differed between ECa and normal samples (p < 0.001). Moreover, COL14A1 methylation (COL14A1me) and GPX3 methylation (GPX3me) levels discriminated adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, respectively, from normal samples (p = 0.002 and p = 0.009, respectively). COL14A1me & ZNF569me accurately identified adenocarcinomas (82.29%) whereas GPX3me & ZNF569me identified squamous cell carcinomas with 81.73% accuracy. Furthermore, ZNF569me and GPX3me levels significantly differed between normal and pre-treated ECa.

Conclusion

The biomarker potential of a specific panel of methylated genes for ECa was confirmed. These might prove useful for early detection and might allow for the identification of minimal residual disease after adjuvant therapy.

Identification of novel methylated DNA marker ZNF569 for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Aberrant DNA methylation pattern plays an indispensable role in the initiation and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). It is well recognized that lymph node metastasis is closely with unfavorable prognosis of HNSCC. Therefore, exploring the methylation events accounting for the lymph node metastasis of HNSCC is very important for improving the clinical outcome of HNSCC. Methylation data, RNA-seq data and clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and processed using the R package TCGA-Assembler. MethylMix was use for data analysis by integrating both methylation and gene expression data on HNSCC patients with lymph node metastasis and without lymph node metastasis. Pathway analysis was performed on significantly altered genes using ConsensusPathDB. The role of our interested gene zinc figure protein 569 (ZNF569) in HNSCC was further evaluated. Our results identified many novel hypermethylated/hypomethylated genes that might be closely associated with the lymph node metastasis of HNSCC. Pathway analysis revealed that increase in methylation of genes involved in generic transcription pathway including zinc figure proteins. ZNF569 was hypermethylated in HNSCC tissues especially those with lymph node metastasis. In addition, the expression levels of ZNF569 mRNA and protein were significantly lower in HNSCC tissues and cell lines compared to their respective controls. Moreover, overexpression of ZNF569 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HNSCC cells. HNSCC patients with lower ZNF569 expression suffered a significantly shorter overall survival than those with higher ZNF569 expression. In conclusion, we have identified many novel differentially methylated genes that might be important for the lymph node metastasis of HNSCC. In addition, ZNF569 might play a tumor suppressive role in carcinogenesis of HNSCC.

Zinc finger protein 307 functions as a tumor‑suppressor and inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Zinc finger protein 307 (ZNF307) is a new Krüppel-associated box zinc-finger protein gene and a member of the zinc-finger family of transcriptional factors. Notably, the role of ZNF307 and its underlying mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis are poorly investigated. In the present study, we found that the expression of ZNF307 was significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, compared with that in adjacent non-tumor tissues. In vitro studies further demonstrated that ectopic expression of ZNF307 in HCC cell lines Bel7402 and HCCLM3 significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasive ability. Concordantly, knockdown of ZNF307 increased cell proliferation, migration and invasive ability of HCC cell lines MHCC97L and QGY7701. In vivo functional studies showed that upregulation of ZNF307 expression in Bel7402 cells led to a suppression of tumorigenicity in mice, while knockdown of ZNF307 in MHCC97L cells resulted in reverse. effects. Importantly, flow cytometric analysis showed that ZNF307 overexpression increased the incidence of apoptosis, while ZNF307 knockdown decreased the incidence of apoptosis. Consistently, key regulators in apoptosis, such as caspase-3, BAX and BCL-2 were also regulated by ZNF307. Therefore, our results indicate that ZNF307 may serve as a tumor suppressor and inhibits cell proliferation of HCC via inducing apoptosis.

Zinc-finger protein 545 is inactivated due to promoter methylation and functions as a tumor suppressor through the Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways in colorectal cancer

The transcription factor, zinc-finger protein 545 (ZNF545), that belongs to the Kruppel-associated box zinc-finger protein (KRAB-ZFP) family, acts as a tumor suppressor and is inactivated by promoter methylation in cancers such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, and gastric cancer, but its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to characterize the ZNF545 expression, methylation status, biological function, and related molecular mechanisms in CRC. The results showed that ZNF545 was expressed in adult normal colorectal tissues, but downregulated or silenced in CRC cell lines, and this mechanism was reversed by demethylation treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A. The results also showed that the expression of ZNF545 in primary CRC tissues was significantly downregulated compared to adjacent tissues (p<0.05). Overexpression of ZNF545 caused CRC cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, suppressed cell proliferation, and suppressed colony formation and migration in vitro, showing that ZNF545 can function as a tumor suppressor. This function was also shown in nude mice. Furthermore, Wnt/β-catenin, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), and mitogen-activated protein kinases/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways participated in the regulation of ZNF545 in CRC cells. Together, the results suggested that ZNF545 functions as a tumor suppressor in CRC and is frequently inactivated by promoter methylation.

ZNF300 tight self-regulation and functioning through DNA methylation and histone acetylation

Background

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the KRAB-ZNFs involve in various biological processes. As a typical member of KRAB-ZNFs, dysregulation of ZNF300 contributes to multiple pathologies such as leukemia and cancer. However, mechanisms underlying ZNF300 tight regulation and its pathophysiological function remain largely unknown.

Methods

The effect of ZNF300ZFR on gene transcriptional activity was measured by Dual luciferase reporter system. ChIP-PCR assay were performed to detect the enrichment of ZNF300 protein and H3K9Ac in the ZNF300 gene. Co-immunoprecipitation assays followed by western blot were performed to detect the interaction between ZNF300 and KAP1. The DNA methylation in the ZNF300 gene promoter was analyzed by BSP. ZNF300 function on K562 cell differentiation was analyzed by flow cytometry.

Results

In this study, we found that the zinc finger domain-encoding region (ZFR) of ZNF300 functioned as a repressor possibly by mediating DNA methylation and ZNF300 bound to its ZNF300ZFR, suggesting a potential auto-inhibition mechanism. To support this, DNA methylation inhibition upregulated ZNF300 expression and ZNF300 overexpression inhibited endogenous ZNF300 expression. More importantly, DNA methylation inhibition restored megakaryocyte differentiation in K562 cells suppressed by ZNF300 downregulation, suggesting an important role of DNA methylation in ZNF300 function. Interestingly, ZNF300 knockdown restored global H3K9Ac that was reduced in K562 cells undergoing megakaryocyte differentiation.

Conclusions

Our study revealed novel features of ZNF300 that possibly mediate its regulation and function by modulating epigenetic modifications.

Epigenetic identification of ZNF545 as a functional tumor suppressor in multiple myeloma via activation of p53 signaling pathway

The KRAB-zinc-finger protein ZNF545 was recently identified as a potential suppressor gene in several tumors. However, the regulatory mechanisms of ZNF545 in tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression and roles of ZNF545 in multiple myeloma (MM). ZNF545 was frequently downregulated in MM tissues compared with non-tumor bone marrow tissues. ZNF545 expression was silenced by promoter methylation in MM cell lines, and could be restored by demethylation treatment. ZNF545 methylation was detected in 28.3% of MM tissues, compared with 4.3% of normal bone marrow tissues. ZNF545 transcriptionally activated the p53 signaling pathway but had no effect on Akt in MM, whereas ectopic expression of ZNF545 in silenced cells suppressed their proliferation and induced apoptosis. We therefore identified ZNF545 as a novel tumor suppressor inhibiting tumor growth through activation of the p53 pathway in MM. Moreover, tumor-specific methylation of ZNF545 may represent an epigenetic biomarker for MM diagnosis, and a potential target for specific therapy.

Identification of Glioblastoma Phosphotyrosine-Containing Proteins with Two-Dimensional Western Blotting and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

To investigate the presence of, and the potential biological roles of, protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the glioblastoma pathogenesis, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis- (2DGE-) based Western blotting coupled with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis was used to detect and identify the phosphotyrosine immunoreaction-positive proteins in a glioblastoma tissue. MS/MS and Mascot analyses were used to determine the phosphotyrosine sites of each phosphopeptide. Protein domain and motif analysis and systems pathway analysis were used to determine the protein domains/motifs that contained phosphotyrosine residue and signal pathway networks to clarify the potential biological functions of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. A total of 24 phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were identified. Each phosphotyrosine-containing protein contained at least one tyrosine kinase phosphorylation motif and a certain structural and functional domains. Those phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were involved in the multiple signal pathway systems such as oxidative stress, stress response, and cell migration. Those data show 2DGE-based Western blotting, MS/MS, and bioinformatics are a set of effective approaches to detect and identify glioblastoma tyrosine-phosphorylated proteome and to effectively rationalize the biological roles of tyrosine phosphorylation in the glioblastoma biological systems. It provides novel insights regarding tyrosine phosphorylation and its potential role in the molecular mechanism of a glioblastoma.

Zinc-finger protein 545 inhibits cell proliferation as a tumor suppressor through inducing apoptosis and is disrupted by promoter methylation in breast cancer

Krüppel-associated box-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAP-ZFPs) are well recognized as key regulators of transcription, which play a crucial role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and tumorigenesis. We previously identified a KRAP-ZFP protein ZNF545 acting as a tumor suppressor involved in tumor pathogenesis. However, its expression and biological function in breast cancer remain elusive. In this study, we found that ZNF545 was frequently downregulated in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), progesterone receptor-positive (PR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) breast tumor tissues compared with paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. We further examined its expression and methylation in breast cancer cell lines by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and methylation-specific PCR. We found that ZNF545 was silenced by promoter methylation in MCF7 cell line, and its expression could be restored by demethylation, concomitant with increased unmethylated alleles. ZNF545 methylation was detected in 29% of breast tumor tissues, but not in normal breast tissues, suggesting tumor-specific methylation of ZNF545 in breast cancer. Ectopic expression of ZNF545 in MCF7 cells inhibited cell proliferation through inducing cell cycle G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis, thus as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, ZNF545 upregulated mRNA and protein levels of c-Jun/AP1, BAX, p53 and Caspase 3. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ZNF545 inhibits breast tumor cell proliferation through inducing apoptosis and is disrupted by promoter methylation in breast cancer.

Protein quantitative trait loci identify novel candidates modulating cellular response to chemotherapy

Annotating and interpreting the results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) remains challenging. Assigning function to genetic variants as expression quantitative trait loci is an expanding and useful approach, but focuses exclusively on mRNA rather than protein levels. Many variants remain without annotation. To address this problem, we measured the steady state abundance of 441 human signaling and transcription factor proteins from 68 Yoruba HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines to identify novel relationships between inter-individual protein levels, genetic variants, and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Proteins were measured using micro-western and reverse phase protein arrays from three independent cell line thaws to permit mixed effect modeling of protein biological replicates. We observed enrichment of protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) for cellular sensitivity to two commonly used chemotherapeutics: cisplatin and paclitaxel. We functionally validated the target protein of a genome-wide significant trans-pQTL for its relevance in paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. GWAS overlap results of drug-induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity for paclitaxel and cisplatin revealed unique SNPs associated with the pharmacologic traits (at p<0.001). Interestingly, GWAS SNPs from various regions of the genome implicated the same target protein (p<0.0001) that correlated with drug induced cytotoxicity or apoptosis (p≤0.05). Two genes were functionally validated for association with drug response using siRNA: SMC1A with cisplatin response and ZNF569 with paclitaxel response. This work allows pharmacogenomic discovery to progress from the transcriptome to the proteome and offers potential for identification of new therapeutic targets. This approach, linking targeted proteomic data to variation in pharmacologic response, can be generalized to other studies evaluating genotype-phenotype relationships and provide insight into chemotherapeutic mechanisms.

The central dogma of biology explains that DNA is transcribed to mRNA that is further translated into protein. Many genome-wide studies have implicated genetic variation that influences gene expression and that ultimately affect downstream complex traits including response to drugs. However, because of technical limitations, few studies have evaluated the contribution of genetic variation on protein expression and ensuing effects on downstream phenotypes. To overcome this challenge, we used a novel technology to simultaneously measure the baseline expression of 441 proteins in lymphoblastoid cell lines and compared them with publicly available genetic data. To further illustrate the utility of this approach, we compared protein-level measurements with chemotherapeutic induced apoptosis and cell-growth inhibition data. This study demonstrates the importance of using protein information to understand the functional consequences of genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies. This protein data set will also have broad utility for understanding the relationship between other genome-wide studies of complex traits.

Coordinate H3K9 and DNA methylation silencing of ZNFs in toxicant-induced malignant transformation

Genome-wide disruption of the epigenetic code is a hallmark of malignancy that encompasses many distinct, highly interactive modifications. Delineating the aberrant epigenome produced during toxicant-mediated malignant transformation will help identify the underlying epigenetic drivers of environmental toxicant-induced carcinogenesis. Gene promoter DNA methylation and gene expression profiling of arsenite-transformed prostate epithelial cells showed a negative correlation between gene expression changes and DNA methylation changes; however, less than 10% of the genes with increased promoter methylation were downregulated. Studies described herein confirm that a majority of the DNA hypermethylation events occur at H3K27me3 marked genes that were already transcriptionally repressed. In contrast to aberrant DNA methylation targeting H3K27me3 pre-marked silent genes, we found that actively expressed C2H2 zinc finger genes (ZNFs) marked with H3K9me3 on their 3′ ends, were the favored targets of DNA methylation linked gene silencing. DNA methylation coupled, H3K9me3 mediated gene silencing of ZNF genes was widespread, occurring at individual ZNF genes on multiple chromosomes and across ZNF gene family clusters. At ZNF gene promoters, H3K9me3 and DNA hypermethylation replaced H3K4me3, resulting in a widespread downregulation of ZNF gene expression, which accounted for 8% of all the downregulated genes in the arsenical-transformed cells. In summary, these studies associate toxicant exposure with widespread silencing of ZNF genes by DNA hypermethylation-linked H3K9me3 spreading, further implicating epigenetic dysfunction as a driver of toxicant associated carcinogenesis.

Literature and patent analysis of the cloning and identification of human functional genes in China

The Human Genome Project was launched at the end of the 1980s. Since then, the cloning and identification of functional genes has been a major focus of research across the world. In China too, the potentially profound impact of such studies on the life sciences and on human health was realized, and relevant studies were initiated in the 1990s. To advance China's involvement in the Human Genome Project, in the mid-1990s, Committee of Experts in Biology from National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) proposed the "two 1%" goal. This goal envisaged China contributing 1% of the total sequencing work, and cloning and identifying 1% of the total human functional genes. Over the past 20 years, tremendous achievement has been accomplished by Chinese scientists. It is well known that scientists in China finished the 1% of sequencing work of the Human Genome Project, whereas, there is no comprehensive report about "whether China had finished cloning and identifying 1% of human functional genes". In the present study, the GenBank database at the National Center of Biotechnology Information, the PubMed search tool, and the patent database of the State Intellectual Property Office, China, were used to retrieve entries based on two screening standards: (i) Were the newly cloned and identified genes first reported by Chinese scientists? (ii) Were the Chinese scientists awarded the gene sequence patent? Entries were retrieved from the databases up to the cut-off date of 30 June 2011 and the obtained data were analyzed further. The results showed that 589 new human functional genes were first reported by Chinese scientists and 159 gene sequences were patented (http://gene.fudan.sh.cn/introduction/database/chinagene/chinagene.html). This study systematically summarizes China's contributions to human functional genomics research and answers the question "has China finished cloning and identifying 1% of human functional genes?" in the affirmative.

Hypermethylation of a cluster of Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes on chromosome 19q13 in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Identification of epigenetically affected genes has become an important tool for understanding both normal and aberrant gene expression in cancer. Here we report a whole-genome analysis of DNA methylation profiles in fresh-frozen oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) tissues and normal mucosa samples using microarray technology with patient genomic DNA. We initially compared whole-genome patterns of DNA methylation among 24 OPSCC primary tumors and 24 matched normal mucosal samples. From a survey of 27,578 CpG dinucleotide loci spanning more than 14,000 genes, we identified 958 CpG loci in which measurements of DNA methylation were altered in the primary tumors relative to the normal mucosal samples. These alterations were validated in an independent set of 21 OPSCC patients. A survey of these loci by chromosomal location revealed an abnormally high number of differentially methylated loci on chromosome 19. Many of the loci on chromosome 19 are associated with genes belonging to the Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes. Hypermethylation was accompanied by a significant decrease in expression of these genes in OPSCC primary tumors relative to adjacent mucosa. This study reports the epigenetic silencing of Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes on chromosome 19q13 in oropharyngeal cancer. The aberrant methylation of these genes represents a new avenue of exploration for pathways affected in this disease.

A novel human KRAB-related zinc finger gene ZNF425 inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway

Zinc finger (ZNF) proteins play a critical role in cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and intracellular signal transduction. In this paper, we cloned and characterized a novel human KRAB-related zinc finger gene, ZNF425, which encodes a protein of 752 amino acids. ZNF425 is strongly expressed in the three month old human embryos and then is almost undetectable in six month old embryos and in adult tissues. An EGFP-ZNF425 fusion protein can be found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. ZNF425 appears to act as a transcription repressor. Over-expression of ZNF425 inhibits the transcriptional activities of SRE, AP-1, and SRF. Deletion analysis indicates that the C2H2 domain is the main region responsible for the repression. Our results suggest that the ZNF425 gene is a new transcriptional inhibitor that functions in the MAPK signaling pathway.

Role of zinc finger transcription factor zfp69 in body fat storage and diabetes susceptibility of mice

Type 2 diabetes is a polygenic disease resulting from a combination of different disease alleles reflecting obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia. Using a positional cloning strategy with different inbred strains of mice, we mapped a disease locus for obesity-associated diabetes on chromosome 4. We analyzed all genes in this region and identified distinct differences in the expression levels of the transcription factor Zfp69. The expression of this gene mediated diabetes progression in a leptin-deficient congenic mouse line. The animals developed a disease pattern of hyperglycemia, reduced gonadal fat mass, and increased plasma and liver triglycerides, resembling a potential defect in triglyceride storage . In order to elucidate the impact of the human ortholog of Zfp69 in the development of type 2 diabetes, we tested its mRNA expression in human white adipose tissue. Consistent with the mouse data, mRNA-expression was significantly higher in diabetic subjects than in unaffected controls.