ZEB1
Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ZEB1 gene.
ZEB1 encodes a zinc finger and homeodomain transcription factor that represses T-lymphocyte-specific IL2 gene expression by binding to a negative regulatory domain 100 nucleotides 5-prime of the IL2 transcription start site. ZEB1 and its mammalian paralog ZEB2 belongs to the Zeb family within the ZF class of homeodomain transcription factors. ZEB1 protein has 7 zinc fingers and 1 homeodomain. The structure of the homeodomain is shown on the right.Mutations of the gene are linked to posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 3. ZEB1 downregulates E-cadherin and induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast and other carcinomas. A recent study suggested its contributing role in lung cancer invasiveness and metastasis development.. ZEB1 contributes to bone-specific metastasis of breast carcinomas by inactivating BMP signaling through the induction of the expression of BMP-inhibitors.
