ETS-related transcription factor Elf-3 (ESE-1) is an epithelium-specific Ets transcription factor []. Ets factors are defined by a highly conserved DNA-binding domain called the Ets domain which binds to a purine-rich GGAA/T core motif in enhancer and promoter regions of target genes []. Elf-3/ESE-1 has a role in inflammation [, , ], epithelial differentiation []and cancer development [, ]. It has particularly high expression in the gastrointestinal tract, and may promote ulcerative colitis progression via accelerating NF-kappaB activation [].
Mutations in the mitochondrial CLU proteins have been shown to result in clustered mitochondria [, , ]. CLU proteins include Saccharomyces cerevisiae clustered mitochondria protein (Clu1p, alias translation initiation factor 31/TIF31p), Dictyostelium discoideum clustered mitochondria protein homologue (CluA), Caenorhabditis elegans clustered mitochondria protein homologue (CLUH/ Protein KIAA0664), Drosophila clueless (alias clustered mitochondria protein homologue), Arabidopsis clustered mitochondria protein (CLU, alias friendly mitochondria protein/FMT), and human clustered mitochondria protein homologue (CLUH).Dictyostelium CluA is involved in mitochondrial dynamics and is necessary for both, mitochondrial fission and fusion []. Drosophila clueless is essential for cytoplasmic localization and function of cellular mitochondria []. The Drosophila clu gene interacts genetically with parkin (park, the Drosophila ortholog of a human gene responsible for many familial cases of Parkinson's disease) []. Arabidopsis CLU/FMT is required for correct mitochondrial distribution and morphology []. The specific role CLU proteins play in mitochondrial processes in not yet known. In an early study, S. cerevisiae Clu1/TIF31p was reported as sometimes being associated with the elF3 translation initiation factor. The authors noted, however, that its tentative assignment as a subunit of elf3 was uncertain, and to date there has been no direct evidence for a role of this protein in translation [].This entry represents a central domain in CLU proteins.
