Description
The ATF/CREB family consists of a series of transcription factors that function by binding to the cAMP responsive element (CRE) palindromic octanucleotide, TGACCTCA. The best characterized members of this gene family include CREB-1, CREB-2 (also designated ATF-4), CRE-BPa, LZIP (also designated CREB-3 and Luman), CREM-2, ATF-1, ATF-2, ATF-3, ATF-5, ATF-6 and ATF-7. These transcription factors share terminal leucine zipper dimerization and basic DNA binding domains and are highly variable in their N-termini. Although each of the ATF/ CREB proteins bind CREs in their homodimeric form, they can also bind as heterodimers, both within the ATF/CREB family and with members of the AP-1 transcription factor family. Protein kinase A- mediated CREB phosphorylation induces association with a nuclear protein designated CBP (CREB-binding protein), which may represent a CREB coactivator. CRE-BPa is a nuclear protein that binds DNA as a homodimer but can also form a heterodimer with ATF-2 or Jun