RE1-silencing transcription factor (neural-restrictive silencer factor, X2 box repressor, REST, NRSF, XBR)

Function

• transcriptional repressor
• binds neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE)
• represses neuronal gene transcription in non-neuronal cells
• restricts expression of neuronal genes by associating with 2 distinct corepressors, mSin3 & CoREST, which in turn recruit histone deacetylase to promoters of REST-regulated genes
• mediates repression by recruiting the BHC complex at RE1/NRSE sites which acts by deacetylating & demethylating specific sites on histones
• transcriptional repression by REST-CDYL via recruitment of histone methyltransferase EHMT2 may be important in suppression of transformation
• interacts with SIN3A, SIN3B & RCOR1
• interacts with CDYL
• interacts with EHMT1 & EHMT2 only in the presence of CDYL
• part of a complex containing at least CDYL, REST, WIZ, SETB1, EHMT1 & EHMT2

Structure

• contains 9 C2H2-type zinc fingers

Compartment

• nucleus

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=4

Expression

• ubiquitous
• expressed at higher levels in lymphoid tissues including spleen, thymus, peripheral blood lymphocytes
• expressed in ovary
• expressed in non neuronal tissues & in undifferentiated neuronal progenitors, but not in differentiated neurons
• expression is low in prefrontal cortex of young individuals & increases with age

Pathology

• diminished expression of REST in prefrontal cortex of patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease

More general terms

• C2H2 type zinc finger protein
• transcriptional silencer (transcriptional repressor)
• phosphoprotein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=5978
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:5978
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/600571
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q13127.html