Research Article: Role of the CASZ1 transcription factor in tissue development and disease
Abstract:
The zinc finger transcription factor gene, CASZ1/Castor (Castor zinc finger 1), initially identified in Drosophila, plays a critical role in neural, cardiac, and cardiovascular development, exerting a complex, multifaceted influence on cell fate and tissue morphogenesis. During neurogenesis, CASZ1 exhibits dynamic expression from early embryonic development to the perinatal period, constituting a key regulator in this process. Additionally, CASZ1 controls the transition between neurogenesis and gliomagenesis. During human cardiovascular system development, CASZ1 is essential for cardiomyocyte differentiation, cardiac morphogenesis, and vascular morphology homeostasis and formation. The deletion or inactivation of CASZ1 mutations can lead to human developmental diseases or tumors, including congenital heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and neuroblastoma. CASZ1 can be used as a biomarker for disease prevention and diagnosis as well as a prognostic indicator for cancer. This review explores the unique functions of CASZ1 in tissue morphogenesis and associated diseases, offering new insights for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying diseases and identifying potential therapeutic targets for disease prevention and treatment.
Introduction:
The CASZ1/Castor (Castor zinc finger 1) gene, initially discovered in Drosophila, encodes a zinc finger transcription factor (TF) that regulates neural fate [1]. In humans, CASZ1 is located on chromosome 1p36, acting as a tumor suppressor gene. It encodes two primary isoforms: CASZ1a, spanning 1759 amino acids with 11 TFIIIA-like C2H2 zinc fingers (ZnFs), and CASZ1b, a more evolutionarily conserved isoform containing 1166 amino acids and lacking 6 zinc fingers in the C-terminal region [2]. Highly conserved…
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