TEF Antibody

Background:

Thyrotroph embryonic factor (TEF), a transcription factor,is a member of the PAR (proline and acidic amino acid-rich)subfamily of basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcriptionfactors. It is expressed in a broad range of cells and tissues inadult animals, however, during embryonic development, TEFexpression appears to be restricted to the developing anteriorpituitary gland, coincident with the appearance ofthyroid-stimulating hormone, beta (TSHB). Indeed, TEF can bind to,and transactivate the TSHB promoter. It shows homology (in thefunctional domains) with other members of the PAR-bZIP subfamily oftranscription factors, which include albumin D box-binding protein(DBP), human hepatic leukemia factor (HLF) and chicken vitellogeningene-binding protein (VBP); VBP is considered the chicken homologueof TEF. Different members of the subfamily can readily formheterodimers, and share DNA-binding, and transcriptional regulatoryproperties. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encodingdifferent isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided byRefSeq].