zfr Antibody

Overview of ZFR and ZFR Antibodies

ZFR (Zinc finger RNA-binding protein) is a multifunctional RNA-binding protein involved in alternative splicing, mRNA stability, and innate immune regulation. Antibodies against ZFR are essential tools for studying its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation and immune signaling .

Role in Immune Regulation

ZFR suppresses type I interferon (IFN) responses by regulating alternative splicing of macroH2A1 pre-mRNA. Depletion of ZFR leads to:

• Constitutive activation of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) .

• Hyper-induction of IFNβ (IFNB1) upon immunostimulation .

• Aberrant splicing and nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) of macroH2A1 mRNA, reducing its protein levels and derepressing the IFNB1 promoter .

Isoform-Specific Expression

• Monocytes: Express truncated ZFR isoforms derived from an alternative promoter in exon 13 .

• Macrophages: Induce full-length ZFR during differentiation, which modulates macrophage-specific splicing programs .

Biological Significance of ZFR Antibodies

ZFR antibodies have been instrumental in elucidating:

• Post-transcriptional regulation: ZFR controls splicing events in >1,000 genes, including immune regulators like macroH2A1 .

• Cellular differentiation: Isoform switching during monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation correlates with ZFR’s role in immune tolerance .

• Disease mechanisms: Dysregulation of ZFR is linked to excessive interferon signaling, a hallmark of autoimmune diseases .

Validation Data

• Western blot: Anti-ZFR [1G2B9] detects ZFR at ~117 kDa in MG-63 cell lysates .

• Immunohistochemistry: ARP34527_P050 shows strong reactivity in human tissues, validated by BioGPS expression data .

Cross-Reactivity

• Species: Most antibodies cross-react with human and mouse ZFR, with predicted homology extending to zebrafish and cows .

• Epitope conservation: The C-terminal DZF domain targeted by 1G2B9 is structurally conserved across species .

Future Directions

Research using ZFR antibodies could explore:

• Therapeutic targeting: Modulating ZFR to control aberrant interferon responses in autoimmune disorders.

• Splicing networks: High-resolution mapping of ZFR-RNA interactions using ChIP-seq or CLIP-seq .