GLIS family zinc finger 2 also known as GLIS2 is a human
gene.
Function
The
protein encoded by this gene is a
Kruppel-like transcription factor which functions depending on the gene and promoter context as an activator or repressor of
gene transcription.
GLIS2 plays a role in kidney development and
neurogenesis
Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). It occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans. Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs) ...
.
Glis2
knockout mice
A knockout mouse, or knock-out mouse, is a genetically modified mouse (''Mus musculus'') in which researchers have inactivated, or "knocked out", an existing gene by replacing it or disrupting it with an artificial piece of DNA. They are importan ...
display decreased size and weight. The kidneys in these mice show progressive kidney atrophy and display symptoms similar to human
nephronophthisis. Glis2 plays an essential role in the maintenance of renal tissue through prevention of
apoptosis
Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...
and
fibrosis.
Clinical significance
Mutations in the GLIS2 gene are associated with
nephronophthisis.
References
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