E74 Like Factor 4 (ELF4)

ELF4 is a transcriptional activator that binds and activates the promoters of the CSF2, IL3, IL8, and PRF1 genes. The encoded protein is involved in natural killer cell development and function, innate immunity, and induction of cell cycle arrest in naive CD8+ cells. Two transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene.The predicted 663-amino acid protein contains an N-terminal acidic region, an 85-amino acid ETS domain that is 94% identical to that of ELF1, a central serine-threonine-rich region, and a proline-rich region. Northern blot analysis revealed a major 4.2-kb transcript in peripheral blood, ovary, spleen, thymus, liver, and colon as well as in several cell lines of hematopoietic origin. Liver contained a minor 3.5-kb transcript, whereas a minor 6.2-kb transcript was found in the other tissues.