BTB-ZF protein Znf131 regulates cell growth of developing and mature T cells

Many members of the BTB-ZF family have been shown to play important roles in lymphocyte development and function. The role of zinc finger Znf131 (also known as Zbtb35) in T cell lineage was elucidated through the production of mice with floxed allele to disrupt at different stages of development. In this article, we present that Znf131 is critical for T cell development during double-negative to double-positive stage, with which significant cell expansion triggered by the pre-TCR signal is coupled. In mature T cells, Znf131 is required for the activation of effector genes, as well as robust proliferation induced upon TCR signal. One of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21^Cip1 encoded by cdkn1a gene, is one of the targets of Znf131. The regulation of T cell proliferation by Znf131 is in part attributed to its suppression on the expression of p21^Cip1.