Eukaryotic gene transcription is regulated by sequence-specific transcription factors that bind modular cis acting promoter and enhancer elements. The ATF/CREB transcription factor family binds the palindromic cAMP response element (CRE) octanucleotide TGACGTCA. The best characterized members of this gene family include CREB-1, CREB-2 (also designated ATF-4), CRE-BPa, LZIP (also designated CREB3 and Luman), CREM-1, CREM-2, ATF-1, ATF-2, ATF-3, ATF-5, ATF-6 and ATF-7. This family of proteins contain highly divergent N-terminal domains, but share a C-terminal leucine zipper for dimerization and DNA binding. ATF-5 (ATFx), which can localize to the cytoplasm or the nucleus, binds DNA as a dimer. It interacts with CCND3 and PTP4A1.
