Myoneurin, a novel member of the BTB/POZ-zinc finger family highly expressed in human muscle

Initially characterized as Drosophila developmental regulators, the BTB/POZ and zinc finger proteins (BTB/POZ-ZF) constitute a growing family of prote ins with gene expression regulatory functions since they have been shown to be involved in both transcriptional activation and repression of various g enes in a broad range of species, including mammals. Here we report the clo ning of a novel human transcript, coding for a 68-kDa deduced BTB/POZ-ZF pr otein. This molecule, called myoneurin on the basis of its prevalent expres sion in the neuromuscular system, contains an amino-terminal BTB/POZ domain and eight tandemly repeated zinc-finger motifs of the C2H2 type. The murin e myoneurin, identified in the mouse embryo, is highly homologous to the hu man protein, (C) 2000 Academic Press.