The RING-type zinc finger motif is present in a number of viral and eukaryotic proteins and is made up of a conserved cysteine-rich domain that is able to bind two zinc atoms. Proteins that contain this conserved domain are generally involved in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation. RNF213 (ring finger protein 213), also known as NET57, is a 3,280 amino acid protein containing one RING-type zinc finger domain through which it may play a role in transcriptional regulation and protein degradation. RNF213 is encoded by a gene located on human chromosome 17, which comprises over 2.5% of the human genome and encodes over 1,200 genes. Two key tumor suppressor genes are associated with chromosome 17, namely, p53 and BRCA1. Tumor suppressor p53 is necessary for maintenance of cellular genetic integrity by moderating cell fate through DNA repair versus cell death. Malfunction or loss of p53 expression is associated with malignant cell growth and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Like p53, BRCA1 is directly involved in DNA repair, though specifically it is recognized as a genetic determinant of early onset breast cancer and predisposition to cancers of the ovary, colon, prostate gland and fallopian tubes.