Caught with One's Zinc Fingers in the Genome Integrity Cookie Jar

Zinc finger (ZnF) domains are present in at least 5% of human proteins. First characterized as binding to DNA, ZnFs display extraordinary binding plasticity and can bind to RNA, lipids, proteins, and protein post-translational modifications (PTMs). The diverse binding properties of ZnFs have made their functional characterization challenging. While once confined to large and poorly characterized protein families, proteomic, cellular, and molecular studies have begun to shed light on their involvement as protectors of the genome. We focus here on the emergent roles of ZnF domain-containing proteins in promoting genome integrity, including their involvement in telomere maintenance and DNA repair. These findings have highlighted the need for further characterization of ZnF proteins, which can reveal the functions of this large gene class in normal cell function and human diseases, including those involving genome instability such as aging and cancer.