IKZF Family (IKZF 家族)

IKZF family is a group of transcription factor families that play a crucial role in processes such as lymphopoiesis, differentiation, and functional regulation of lymphocytes. The proteins of its members have specific zinc finger domains in their structures, which can interact with DNA or other proteins, thus regulating the gene transcription process. As transcriptional repressors and activators, members of the IKZF family are of great significance in the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into lymphocytes, as well as in the differentiation and function exertion of T and B cells. In addition, members of the IKZF family can regulate gene expression through various mechanisms, including remodeling chromatin structure, promoting the activity of the RNA Pol II transcription initiation complex, and inducing chromosome conformational changes, etc. Mutations or abnormal functions of the members of the IKZF family are associated with a variety of diseases, such as B cell deficiency, leukemia, and autoimmune diseases^[1].