Overview:

The activating transcription factor ATF2 (also called CRE-BP1) is a member of the ATF/CREB family of leucine zipper transcription factors, which binds both AP-1 and Cre DNA response element (1). ATF2 has two unique characteristics: it mediates adenovirus E1A-induced trans-activation and forms a heterodimer with c-Jun (2). ATF2 is a target of the JNK signal transduction pathway (3). ATF2 is phosphorylated by JNK on two closely spaced threonine residues located in the NH2-terminal activation domain. The replacement of these phosphorylation sites with alanine inhibited the transcriptional activity of ATF2. Furthermore, p38 MAPK can also phosphorylate ATF2.

References:

1. Maekawa, T. et al: Leucine zipper structure of the protein CRE-BP1 binding to the cyclic AMP response element in brain. EMBO J 1989 8:2023-2028.

2. Nomura, N. et al: Isolation and characterization of a novel member of the gene family encoding the cAMP response element binding protein CRE-BP1. J Biol Chem. 1993 Feb 25;268(6):4259-66.

3. Gupta, S. et al: Transcription factor ATF2 regulation by the JNK signal transduction pathway. Science, 1995 Jan 20;267(5196):389-93.