V-Maf Musculoaponeurotic Fibrosarcoma Oncogene Homolog B (MAFB)

MAFB is a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor that plays an important role in the regulation of lineage-specific hematopoiesis. The encoded nuclear protein represses ETS1-mediated transcription of erythroid-specific genes in myeloid cells. This gene contains no introns.The common deduced protein contains 323 amino acids and has a calculated molecular mass of 35.8 kD. MAFB has a pro-ser-thr-rich acidic transcriptional activation domain at its N terminus, followed by 2 histidine repeats, an extended homology region, a basic DNA-binding domain, and a C-terminal leucine zipper domain containing hydrophobic residues that form the zipper heptad repeats (LLLLYL). MAFB shares 84% amino acid identity with its murine homolog. Northern blot analysis detected ubiquitous expression of MAFB.