Modified zinc finger binding proteins
Disclosed herein are compositions and method comprising non-canonical (e.g., non-C2H2) zinc finger proteins.
1. A method of modulating expression of a gene in a plant cell or in an isolated mammalian cell, the method comprising the step of expressing, in the cell, a non-naturally-occurring zinc-finger binding protein comprising a non-canonical zinc finger comprising the sequence X 3 -Cys-X 2-4 -Cys-X 12 -His-X 1-7 -Z-X 4 (SEQ ID NO:121), where X is any amino acid and Z is C, where residues 6 to 12 of X 12 are engineered to bind to a target nucleic acid sequence, and wherein X 1-7 is selected from the group consisting of SETG (residues 2-5 of SEQ ID NO:12), LKSLTP (residues 2-7 of SEQ ID NO:13), SEN, VRI, KRS, KRL, LRW, ITT, IKG and IGG.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-naturally-occurring zinc-finger binding protein further comprises a functional domain.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the functional domain is an endonuclease.
4. The non-naturally occurring zinc finger binding proteins of claim 2 , wherein the functional domain is a repressive domain.
5. The non-naturally occurring zinc finger binding proteins of claim 2 , wherein the functional domain is an activation domain.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gene is in a plant cell.