2026-02-28 東京大学
昆虫における最大の転写因子群の進化的起源は「ゲノムの立体構造の制御因子」であった
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.iqb.u-tokyo.ac.jp/pressrelease/260228/
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady7568
ショウジョウバエにおける急速に進化するZADジンクフィンガータンパク質の分子ロジックの解読 Decoding the molecular logic of rapidly evolving ZAD zinc finger proteins in Drosophila
Raku Saito, Yusuke Umemura, Shiho Makino, and Takashi Fukaya
Science Advances Published:27 Feb 2026
Abstract
The zinc finger–associated domain (ZAD)–containing C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZAD-ZnFs) represent the most abundant class of transcription factors that emerged during insect evolution, yet their molecular diversity and biological functions remain largely unclear. Here, we established a systematic CRISPR-based protein-tagging approach that enables direct, unambiguous comparison of nuclear localization and genome-wide binding profiles of endogenous ZAD-ZnFs in developing Drosophila embryos. Evidence is provided that a subset of ZAD-ZnFs forms nuclear condensates through the stacking of the N-terminal ZAD dimerization surface. Disruption of condensation activity leads to misregulation of genome-wide binding profiles and lethality, underscoring its functional and physiological significance in development. Integrative chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and Micro-C analyses reveal that many ZAD-ZnFs colocalize with core insulator proteins such as CCCTC-binding factor and Centrosomal protein 190 kD to control the formation of topological boundaries. We suggest that the diverse molecular functions of ZAD-ZnFs have evolutionarily arisen from their ancestral role as insulator-binding proteins.
