KRAB domain (Kruppel-associated box) superfamily

The Krueppel-associated box (KRAB) is a domain of around 75 amino acids that is found in the N-terminal part of about one third of eukaryotic Krueppel-type C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) [14519192]. It is enriched in charged amino acids and can be divided into subregions A and B, which are predicted to fold into two amphipathic alpha-helices. The KRAB A and B boxes can be separated by variable spacer segments and many KRAB proteins contain only the A box [2023909].

The functions currently known for members of the KRAB-containing protein family include transcriptional repression of RNA polymerase I, II, and III promoters, binding and splicing of RNA, and control of nucleolus function. The KRAB domain functions as a transcriptional repressor when tethered to the template DNA by a DNA-binding domain. A sequence of 45 amino acids in the KRAB A subdomain has been shown to be necessary and sufficient for transcriptional repression. The B box does not repress by itself but does potentiate the repression exerted by the KRAB A subdomain [8183939, 8183940]. Gene silencing requires the binding of the KRAB domain to the RING-B box-coiled coil (RBCC) domain of the KAP-1/TIF1-beta corepressor. As KAP-1 binds to the heterochromatin proteins HP1, it has been proposed that the KRAB-ZFP-bound target gene could be silenced following recruitment to heterochromatin [10653693, 10748030].

KRAB-ZFPs probably constitute the single largest class of transcription factors within the human genome [10360839]. Although the function of KRAB-ZFPs is largely unknown, they appear to play important roles during cell differentiation and development. The KRAB domain is generally encoded by two exons. The regions coded by the two exons are known as KRAB-A and KRAB-B.