HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: UTF1
Cytogenetic location: 10q26.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38) : 10:133,230,217-133,231,558 (from NCBI)
Several transcription factors are expressed in undifferentiated embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells and are downregulated during differentiation of these cells. Such factors may be involved in maintenance of the undifferentiated state. Fukushima et al. (1998) cloned human UTF1 from a human teratocarcinoma cell line cDNA library. The cDNA encodes a 341-amino acid polypeptide that is 64% identical to mouse UTF1. The sequence contains 2 domains, one at the N terminus and the other at the C terminus, that are highly conserved between mouse and human sequences. The C-terminal conserved domain contains a leucine zipper motif. Southern blot and genomic analyses revealed that the gene exists in single copy and that no UTF1-related gene exists in the human genome. RNase protection assay showed that UTF1 is expressed only in human EC cell lines; Western blot analysis demonstrated that UTF1 protein is present only in the undifferentiated state in EC cells. Phosphatase treatment followed by Western blot analysis indicated that UTF1 is partially phosphorylated. In vitro assays showed that UTF1 boosts transcription through binding to the transcription factor ATF2 (123811) and also binds to the TATA-binding protein-containing complex (TFIID; see 313650).
Fukushima et al. (1998) used fluorescence in situ hybridization to map the UTF1 gene to human chromosome 10q26, a region sharing homology of synteny with mouse chromosome 7F5, where mouse UTF1 is located.
Fukushima, A., Okuda, A., Nishimoto, M., Seki, N., Hori, T., Muramatsu, M. Characterization of functional domains of an embryonic stem cell coactivator UTF1 which are conserved and essential for potentiation of ATF-2 activity. J. Biol. Chem. 273: 25840-25849, 1998. [PubMed: 9748258] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.273.40.25840]