ZFNs operate through a two-part mechanism. First, the zinc finger protein recognizes and binds to specific DNA sequences. The DNA-binding domain is composed of zinc finger motifs, each recognizing three base pairs of DNA. Multiple zinc fingers are linked together to target longer DNA sequences. Second, the FokI nuclease domain dimerizes and cleaves the DNA at the targeted site. This cleavage can lead to gene disruption or the introduction of new genetic material through homologous recombination.
