Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40246927›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Multimeric transcription factor BCL11A utilizes two zinc-finger tandem arrays to bind clustered short sequence motifs.

John R Horton, Meigen Yu, Jujun Zhou, Melody Tran, Rithvi R Anakal, Yue Lu, Robert M Blumenthal, Xiaotian Zhang, Yun Huang, Xing Zhang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

John R HortonDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9749-8068
Meigen YuDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0298-2832
Jujun ZhouDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4104-7158
Melody TranDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8748-3029
Rithvi R AnakalDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Yue LuDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Robert M BlumenthalDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and Program in Bioinformatics, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0873-0724
Xiaotian ZhangDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9533-4761
Yun HuangCenter for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5950-9168
Xing ZhangDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Xiaodong ChengDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. xcheng5@mdanderson.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6967-6362

Funding

TRAINING PROGRAM IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINET15LM007093 · NLM · RICE UNIVERSITY · PI Lydia E. Kavraki · 1992 to 2026
$20.8M
Epigenetic regulations of DNA and histone methylation and deMethylation: Structures and MechanismsR35GM134744 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Xiaodong Cheng · 2020 to 2026
$4.5M
MD Anderson Summer Program in Cancer Research (SPCR)R25CA181004 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI MARK T. BEDFORD, Joya Chandra · 2014 to 2026
$1.8M
The dissection of non-canonical cis-regulatory elements downstream of beta-globin locus in the fetal hemoglobin gene regulationR01HL170115 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI Xiaotian Zhang · 2023 to 2026
$1.8M
Mutual reinforcement between somatic mutations and transcription factors in clonal hematopoiesisR01DK132286 · NIDDK · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CTR · PI Xiaodong Cheng, Yun Huang · 2023 to 2026
$1.7M
NCI NIH HHS R25 CA181004NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL170115NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK132286NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM134744NLM NIH HHS T15 LM007093U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R35 GM134644
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BCL11A, a transcription factor, is vital for hematopoiesis, including B and T cell maturation and the fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch. Mutations in BCL11A are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. BCL11A contains two DNA-binding zinc-finger arrays, low-affinity ZF2-3 and high-affinity ZF4-6, separated by a 300-amino-acid linker. ZF2-3 and ZF4-5 share 73% identity, including five out of six DNA base-interacting residues. These arrays bind similar short sequence motifs in clusters, with the linker enabling a broader binding span. Crystallographic structures of ZF4-6, in complex with oligonucleotides from the β-globin locus region, reveal DNA sequence recognition by residues Asn756 (ZF4), Lys784 and Arg787 (ZF5). A Lys784-to-Thr mutation, linked to a neurodevelopmental disorder with persistent fetal globin expression, reduces DNA binding over 10-fold but gains interaction with a variable base pair. BCL11A isoforms may form oligomers, enhancing chromatin occupancy and repressor functions by allowing multiple copies of both low- and high-affinity ZF arrays to bind DNA. These distinctive properties, apparently conserved among vertebrates, provide essential functional flexibility to this crucial regulator.

Indexed as

Carrier ProteinsZinc FingersAmino Acid Sequencebeta-GlobinsBinding SitesCrystallography, X-RayDNAHumansModels, MolecularMutationProtein BindingRepressor ProteinsTranscription FactorsBCL11A protein, humanbeta-GlobinsCarrier ProteinsDNARepressor ProteinsTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID40246927
PMCPMC12006351

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.