Ring Finger Protein 103 (RNF103)

RNF103 contains a RING-H2 finger, a motif known to be involved in protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. This gene is highly expressed in normal cerebellum, but not in the cerebral cortex. The expression of the rat counterpart in the frontal cortex and hippocampus was shown to be induced by elctroconvulsive treatment (ECT) as well as chronic antidepressant treatment, suggesting that this gene may be a molecular target for ECT and antidepressants.The open reading frame encodes a 685-amino acid protein with 2 membrane-spanning regions that is 98% similar to that of mouse kf1. The protein also contains a C-terminal zinc-binding RING-H2 finger motif similar to that found in RAPSN. Northern blot analysis of mouse tissues detected greatest expression of a 3.5-kb transcript in cerebellum, with weakest expression in cerebral cortex.