ZNF473 is a zinc finger protein that functions as a multifunctional regulator of gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. As a DNA/RNA-associated protein, ZNF473 regulates the expression and splicing of cell cycle genes 1. The protein plays a critical role in histone 3'-end pre-mRNA processing by associating with U7 snRNP and interacting with SLBP/pre-mRNA complexes, facilitating proper mRNA maturation 2. ZNF473 is essential for cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase, making it a key regulator of proliferation control. ZNF473 exhibits tissue-specific transcription patterns, with particularly high expression in testis 3. Disease relevance includes potential involvement in congenital lung malformations through interaction with lncRNA FLJ26850 4, and associations with bone mineral density variation through epigenomic regulation 5. Additionally, ZNF473 shows evolutionary significance as an allele previously under long-term balancing selection in African populations that was recently targeted by positive selection in Eurasian populations 6. Clinically, ZNF473 has been engineered as a transcriptional activation domain component in the compact human activator NFZ, combining with NCOA3 and FOXO3 domains to enable efficient CRISPR activation with improved viral delivery and enhanced inducible control of gene expression 7.