ZNF197 is a zinc finger transcription factor localized to the nucleus that regulates gene expression through binding to cis-regulatory DNA regions. ZNF197 functions as a transcriptional regulator whose activity can be modulated through alternative splicing; an alternatively spliced isoform (VHLaK) containing KRAB-A and SCAN domains but lacking the characteristic C2H2 zinc fingers serves as a transcriptional repression module that can be recruited by the VHL tumor suppressor to inhibit HIF-1alpha transactivation 1. In placental development, ZNF197 expression is regulated by copper-associated DNA methylation patterns 2. Genes co-expressed with ZNF197 are enriched for those associated with birth weight and growth hormone secretion, suggesting a role in fetal development 2. ZNF197 likely regulates genes involved in copper metabolism and placentation 2. In cancer biology, the lncRNA ZNF197-AS1 (encoded from the ZNF197 locus) acts as a competing endogenous RNA that modulates the miR-425/GABARAPL1 axis in uveal melanoma, suppressing tumor cell proliferation and metastatic potential 3. These findings position ZNF197 as a multifunctional transcriptional regulator with roles spanning normal developmental processes and cancer progression.