Description
CEBPA, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CEBPA gene. The CEBPA gene is intronless. Using human/hamster somatic cell hybrids containing restricted fragments of human chromosome 19, the CEBPA gene is mapped to chromosome 19q13.1, between the GPI and TGFB1 genes. The protein encoded by this intronless gene is a bZIP transcription factor which can bind as a homodimer to certain promoters and enhancers. It can also form heterodimers with the related proteins CEBP-beta and CEBP-gamma. The encoded protein has been shown to bind to the promoter and modulate the expression of the gene encoding leptin, a protein that plays an important role in body weight homeostasis