| Primary Identifier | IPR028574 | Type | Family |
| Short Name | MafK |
| description | Maf transcription factors form a distinct family of the basic leucine zipper (bZip) transcription factors. The Maf family is divided into two subclasses, large Mafs and small Mafs (MafF, MafK []and MafG []). Both subclasses contain leucine-zipper motifs, which allow homodimerisation as well as heterodimerisation with a variety of other bZip proteins. Small Mafs can act as negative regulators of transcription by recruiting transcriptional repressors or by forming homodimers that can then displace active dimers. Small Mafs lack a transactivator domain, but they can also serve as transcriptional activators by dimerising with other (usually larger) basic-zipper proteins and recruiting them to specific DNA-binding sites.The small Mafs (MafF, MafG and MafK) appear to be crucial regulators of mammalian gene expression. Small Mafs are also involved in regulating stress response and detoxification pathways []. |
