Zinc-Finger (ZnF) proteins represent one of the most abundant group of proteins in the human genome. At first characterized as DNA binding proteins, it has become increasingly clear that ZnF-proteins have the ability to bind a large variety of substrates such as RNAs, proteins and post-translational modifications, suggesting potential roles in a variety of biological processes. Indeed, several studies have implicated ZnF-proteins for instance in transcription regulation, signal transduction and cell migration. Intriguingly, more recently these proteins have emerged as important protectors of the genome, particularly by orchestrating the repair of highly deleterious DNA double-strand breaks. Here we provide a comprehensive summary of the roles of ZnF domain-containing proteins in DNA double-strand break repair and discuss how their dysfunction impacts genome stability and human disease.

锌指 (ZnF) 蛋白代表人类基因组中最丰富的一组蛋白质。最初以 DNA 结合蛋白为特征，越来越清楚的是 ZnF 蛋白能够结合多种底物，如 RNA、蛋白质和翻译后修饰，这表明它在各种生物过程中的潜在作用。事实上，一些研究表明 ZnF 蛋白在转录调控、信号转导和细胞迁移等方面具有重要意义。有趣的是，最近这些蛋白质已成为基因组的重要保护者，特别是通过协调修复高度有害的 DNA 双链断裂。