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Zn Zinc

Zinc holds together repeating protein domains that let some proteins grip DNA.

Basic facts

SymbolZn
Atomic number30
Standard atomic weight65.4
Group12
Period4
Blockd-block
CategoryTransition metal
Standard stateSolid
Discovered1746

Source: PubChem, Zinc (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.

Biotech uses & experiments

biology

lab biology 1985

Repeating zinc-binding domains

Miller, McLachlan and Klug found that transcription factor IIIA from frog oocytes contains nine repeated units of about 30 amino acids, each with paired cysteines and histidines and folded around a zinc ion.

As reported in: Miller, McLachlan, Klug (1985). Repetitive zinc‐binding domains in the protein transcription factor IIIA from Xenopus oocytes.. The EMBO Journal. doi:10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03825.x

Read free · preprint / author manuscript

Topics on this site about zinc

Entries elsewhere on the site that mention zinc

Found by name, common compounds and chemical formulas in each entry.

Patents

Search Google Patents for zinc in biological and medical uses: all patents · recent applications (2022+)

A patent is a legal claim, not proof that something works. See the Patents page.