A NOVEL RING FINGER PROTEIN, BFP, PREDOMINANTLY EXPRESSED IN THE BRAIN

RING finger is a variant zinc finger motif present in a new family of proteins including transcription regulators. A genomic DNA fragment co ntaining RING finger motifs was identified by the polymerase chain rea ction using degenerate primers. Using this fragment as a probe, we hav e isolated a novel cDNA from rat brain library. The predicted open rea ding frame contains a RING finger domain at its N-terminal portion. Th e corresponding transcript was detected predominantly in the brain and therefore was designated brain finger protein (bfp). An antibody rais ed against a recombinant bfp reveals the presence of the bfp in the br ain. Interestingly, the bfp is induced during retinoic acid-mediated d ifferentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells into neural cells. The se findings suggest the possible involvement of bfp in some aspects of neural cell regulation. (C) 1997 Academic Press.