Zinc Finger With KRAB And SCAN Domains Protein 5 (ZKSCAN5)

ZKSCAN5 encodes a zinc finger protein of the Kruppel family. The protein contains a SCAN box and a KRAB A domain. A similar protein in mouse is differentially expressed in spermatogenesis. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants differing only in the 5' UTR have been described. Additional variants have been found, but their full-length sequences have not been determined.The longest deduced protein contains 819 amino acids and has 12 zinc finger domains in its C-terminal half. Northern blot analysis detected highest Zfp95 expression in testis, with lower levels in brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue, lung, and striated muscle. A second transcript was expressed exclusively in testis. Expression of the testis-specific Zfp95 transcript in isolated germ cells was highest in pachytene spermatocytes, followed by round spermatids.