As for the pathophysiological implications of the present finding, ZNF804A is presently a protein of unknown function. The amino acid sequence contains a C2H2-type domain characteristic of the classical Zinc-Finger (ZnF) family of proteins. These were originally identified as DNA binding molecules with a role in transcription, but proteins with this classic zinc finger domain are now known to interact with many other types of molecule, including RNA and protein, and in doing so, play many roles in cellular function (29). Until ZNF804A is functionally characterized, it is not possible to propose specific cellular processes that link the current genetic finding to disease risk.
