C2H2-zinc finger transcription factors bind RNA and function in diverse post-transcriptional regulatory processes [RNA-seq]

With over 700 members, the Cys2-His2 zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZNFs) constitute the largest class of DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs), yet remain largely uncharacterized1. Although certain family members, including GTF3A, WT1 and CTCF, have been shown to bind both DNA and RNA2,3, the extent to which C2H2-ZNFs interact with – and regulate – RNA-associated processes is not known. Here, we utilized UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) and found that 148 of 150 C2H2-ZNFs that we analyzed bound directly to RNA in human cells. By integrating data from new individual nucleotide resolution RNA-binding maps for 50 of these C2H2-ZNFs with data from chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), protein-protein interaction, and RNA-seq experiments4, we observe that the RNA-binding profiles of C2H2-ZNFs are generally distinct from their DNA-binding preferences and that they regulate a variety of post-transcriptional processes, including pre-mRNA splicing, cleavage and polyadenylation, and m6A modification of mRNA. Our results thus substantially expand the cellular repertoire of RBPs by systematically defining RNA targets and regulatory roles of C2H2-ZNFs, and they provide a valuable resource for elucidating crosstalk between transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory programs. Overall design: RNA-seq of HEK293 cells upon knockdown of ZNF784, ZBTB7A, or control non-targeting knockdown, and upon overexpression of CBLL1, ZNF654, or GFP control, in duplicate except for CBLL1 overexpression in a single replicate.