transcription factor MafG; v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog G; hMAF (MAFG)

Function

• since they lack a putative transactivation domain, the small Mafs behave as transcriptional repressors when they dimerize among themselves
• however, they seem to serve as transcriptional activators by dimerizing with other (usually larger) basic-leucine zipper proteins (bZIP) & recruiting them to specific DNA-binding sites

can form high affinity heterodimers with members of the CNC-bZIP family such as NFE2, NFE2L1/NRF1, NFE2L2/NRF2 & NFE2L3/NRF3

• small Maf proteins heterodimerize with Fos & may act as competitive repressors of the NF-E2 transcription factor
• transcription factor
• component of erythroid-specific transcription factor NF-E2
• activates globin gene expression when associated with NF-E2
• small Mafs negatively regulate genes avctivated by the antioxidant-response element

Structure

• homodimer or heterodimer
• belongs to the bZIP family, Maf subfamily
• contains 1 bZIP domain

Compartment

nucleus

Expression

• highly expressed in skeletal muscle
• also expressed in heart & brain

More general terms

• maf family protein
• proto oncogene protein

Database

• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4097
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/602020
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/O15525.html