Small Maf

Small Maf (musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma) proteins are basic region leucine zipper-type transcription factors that can bind to DNA and regulate gene regulation. There are three small Maf (sMaf) proteins, namely MafF, MafG, and MafK, in vertebrates. HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)-approved gene names of MAFF, MAFG and MAFK are “v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog F, G, and K”, respectively.

Through the leucine zipper structures, sMafs form homodimers by themselves and heterodimers with other specific bZIP transcription factors, such as transcription factors of the CNC (cap 'n' collar) and Bach families. Because CNC and Bach proteins cannot bind to DNA by themselves, sMafs are indispensable partners of the CNC and Bach families of transcription factors. Through interactions with these transcription factors, sMafs actively participate in transcriptional activation or repression depending on the nature of the heterodimeric partners.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.