Identification and Characterization of a Novel RING-Finger Gene (RNF4) Mapping at 4p16.3

RINGWe have isolated a new human RING-finger gene finger family show a variety of functions and are mostly (RNF4) that encodes a 190-amino-acid protein. RNF4, involved in the regulation of development and cell difin addition to the carboxyl-terminally located RING- ferentiation (Saurin et al., 1996). Some viral RINGfinger motif, contains two putative nuclear localiza- finger proteins are involved in transactivation of viral tion signals and stretches of acidic amino acids that or cellular genes and are essential for viral pathogenicare similar to the activation domains of some tran- ity (Saurin et al., 1996). Most of the human RINGscription factors. RNF4 was expressed at low levels in finger proteins have been localized in the nucleus or in all human tissues examined, with the notable excep- tion of very high expression in the testis. The mouse both the cytoplasm and the nucleus and are involved homolog of RNF4 was abundantly expressed in embry- in signal transduction and in oncogenesis (Saurin et onic tissues from the earliest days postgestation and al., 1996). The RING-finger motif of TRAF2 is required exhibited a ubiquitous pattern of expression as as- for the formation of the TRAF2/TANK complex, which sessed by in situ hybridization.We havemapped RNF4 in turn mediates NF-kB activation upon ligand binding to 4p16.3, a chromosome region associated with sev- to CD40 or type II tumor necrosis factor receptor eral genetic and neoplastic diseases. RNF4 spans 47 (Cheng and Baltimore, 1996). Several proteins conkb, is composed of eight exons, and maps immediately taining RING-finger motifs participate in oncogenesis proximal to the anonymous locus D4S183, between the through different mechanisms. Chromosomal translohuntingtin (HD) and the fibroblast growth factor re- cations in different neoplasias generate chimeric proceptor 3 (FGFR3) genes.