cAMP Responsive Element Binding Protein Like Protein 2 (CREBL2)

cAMP response element (CRE)-binding protein-like-2 (CREBL2) was identified in a search to find genes in a commonly deleted region on chromosome 12p13 flanked by ETV6 and CDKN1B genes, frequently associated with hematopoietic malignancies, as well as breast, non-small-cell lung and ovarian cancers. CREBL2 shares a 41% identity with CRE-binding protein (CREB) over a 48-base long region which encodes the bZip domain of CREB. The bZip domain consists of about 30 amino acids rich in basic residues involved in DNA binding, followed by a leucine zipper motif involved in protein dimerization. This suggests that CREBL2 encodes a protein with DNA binding capabilities. The occurance of CREBL2 deletion in malignancy suggests that CREBL2 may act as a tumor suppressor gene.