title: The biology of the mammalian Krüppel-like family of transcription factors.
abstract: Recent advances in molecular cloning have led to the identification of a large number of mammalian zinc finger-containing transcription factors that exhibit homology to the Drosophila melanogaster protein, Krüppel. Although the amino acid sequences in the zinc finger domains of these Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are closely related to one another, the regions outside the zinc fingers of the proteins are usually unique. KLFs display seemingly different and broad biological properties with each functioning as an activator of transcription, a repressor or both. This review article provides a current phylogenetic classification of the identified KLFs to date. More importantly, the currently known biological activities of the KLFs in regulating transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation and development are summarized and compared. Further characterization of this interesting protein family should provide additional insights into the their respective regulatory role in various important biological processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 918 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pevsner
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008322:Mammals; D010802:Phylogeny; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors