Alternative titles; symbols
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: PRDM4
Cytogenetic location: 12q23.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 12:107,732,871-107,761,137 (from NCBI)
The PR domain defines a family of transcription factors involved in cell differentiation and tumorigenesis. The domain was first noted as a homologous region in PRDI-BF1 (PRDM1; 603423) and RIZ (PRDM2; 601196). By EST database searching with the PR domain of PRDM2 as a probe, Yang and Huang (1999) identified a novel PR domain-containing protein, PRDM4, which they called PFM1. PRDM4 encodes a deduced 796-amino acid protein that has a PR domain in its middle portion followed by 6 zinc finger motifs in the C terminus. Northern blot analysis detected a major transcript of approximately 4.6 kb in all tissues tested, with highest levels in ovary and testis. An alternative mRNA species of approximately 7.0 kb was found specifically in ovary and testis, and another of approximately 3.4 kb was found at low levels in peripheral blood leukocytes, colon, ovary, testis, prostate, and spleen.
Briknarova et al. (2011) identified a short zinc-knuckle motif (Cx2Cx7Cx2HGP, where x is any amino acid) of approximately 20 amino acids in human PRDM4, PRDM6 (616982), PRDM7 (609759), PRDM9 (609760), PRDM11 (616347), and PRDM15 (617692). The zinc-knuckle motif precedes the PR domain, whereas the longer C2H2-like zinc fingers are located C-terminally to the PR domain. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that the PR zinc knuckle of PRD4 coordinated zinc.
Yang and Huang (1999) found that PRDM4 mRNA levels were highly elevated in PC12 cells treated with NGF (162030), suggesting a role for PRDM4 in the NGF signal transduction pathway.
By STS sequence analysis and somatic cell hybrid analysis, Yang and Huang (1999) mapped the PRDM4 gene to chromosome 12q23-q24.1, a region that is thought to harbor tumor suppressor genes.
Gross (2015) mapped the PRDM4 gene to chromosome 12q23.3 based on an alignment of the PRDM4 sequence (GenBank AF144757) with the genomic sequence (GRCh38).
Briknarova, K., Atwater, D. Z., Glicken, J. M., Maynard, S. J., Ness, T. E. The PR/SET domain in PRDM4 is preceded by a zinc knuckle. Proteins 79: 2341-2345, 2011. [PubMed: 21604305] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.23057]
Gross, M. B. Personal Communication. Baltimore, Md. 9/2/2015.
Yang, X.-H., Huang, S. PFM1 (PRDM4), a new member of the PR-domain family, maps to a tumor suppressor locus on human chromosome 12q23-q24.1. Genomics 61: 319-325, 1999. [PubMed: 10552934] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1006/geno.1999.5967]