ZNF644 is a C2H2-like zinc finger transcription factor that functions as a critical co-regulator of the G9a/GLP histone methyltransferase complex. ZNF644 physically associates with G9a through its transcription activation domain and contains multiple zinc finger motifs that enable sequence-specific DNA binding 1. In this capacity, ZNF644 targets the G9a/GLP complex to specific chr1 loci to mediate H3K9 mono- and dimethylation, resulting in transcriptional repression 1. During neurogenesis, ZNF644 plays complementary roles with its orthologs in regulating G9a/H3K9me2-mediated silencing of progenitor genes, facilitating cell-fate transitions toward neuronal differentiation 2. Clinically, ZNF644 mutations are associated with autosomal dominant myopia 21 (high myopia) 34. Multiple heterozygous missense mutations have been identified in high-myopia patients, with variants showing high conservation and predicted functional impact 35. ZNF644 is expressed in retinal and retinal pigment epithelium tissues, and mutations may disrupt normal eye development regulation, leading to axial elongation characteristic of high myopia 3. Genetic association studies confirm ZNF644 gene variants contribute to high myopia susceptibility in affected populations 6.