Ret Finger Protein Like Protein 3 (RFPL3)

By analysis of a cosmid genomic clone from 22q12-q13 and by PCR, Seroussi et al. (1999) obtained cDNAs encoding RET finger protein (RFP)-like-1 (RFPL1), RFPL2, and RFPL3, as well as antisense RFPL1S and RFPL3S. The deduced 288-amino acid RFPL3 protein is 91 to 94% identical to RFPL1 and RFPL2. Exon 1 of RFPL3 encodes a putative RING-like motif, and exon 2 encodes a B30-2 domain. RFPL3 arose from an intrachromosomal duplication.

Using microarray expression analysis, Bonnefont et al. (2008) found that the human RFPL1, RFPL2, and RFPL3 genes are transactivated by the corticogenic transcription factor PAX6. Real-time PCR demonstrated that RFPL1,2,3 are highly expressed in embryonic stem cell-derived neurogenesis and in fetal neocortex.