The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the E2F family of transcription factors. The E2F family plays a crucial role in the control of cell cycle and action of tumor suppressor proteins and is also a target of the transforming proteins of small DNA tumor viruses. The E2F proteins contain several evolutionally conserved domains found in most members of the family. These domains include a DNA binding domain, a dimerization domain which determines interaction with the differentiation regulated transcription factor proteins (DP), a transactivation domain enriched in acidic amino acids, and a tumor suppressor protein association domain which is embedded within the transactivation domain. This protein and another 2 members, E2F1 and E2F2, have an additional cyclin binding domain. This protein binds specifically to retinoblastoma protein pRB in a cell-cycle dependent manner. Alternative gene splicing is found in the mouse homolog, but has not reported in human yet.[2]
Nomura N, Nagase T, Miyajima N, Sazuka T, Tanaka A, Sato S, Seki N, Kawarabayasi Y, Ishikawa K, Tabata S (1995). "Prediction of the coding sequences of unidentified human genes. II. The coding sequences of 40 new genes (KIAA0041-KIAA0080) deduced by analysis of cDNA clones from human cell line KG-1". DNA Research. 1 (5): 223–9. doi:10.1093/dnares/1.5.223. PMID7584044.
Magae J, Wu CL, Illenye S, Harlow E, Heintz NH (Jul 1996). "Nuclear localization of DP and E2F transcription factors by heterodimeric partners and retinoblastoma protein family members". Journal of Cell Science. 109 (7): 1717–26. PMID8832394.
Hofmann F, Livingston DM (Apr 1996). "Differential effects of cdk2 and cdk3 on the control of pRb and E2F function during G1 exit". Genes & Development. 10 (7): 851–61. doi:10.1101/gad.10.7.851. PMID8846921.
He Y, Armanious MK, Thomas MJ, Cress WD (Jul 2000). "Identification of E2F-3B, an alternative form of E2F-3 lacking a conserved N-terminal region". Oncogene. 19 (30): 3422–33. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1203682. PMID10918599.
Yamochi T, Semba K, Tsuji K, Mizumoto K, Sato H, Matsuura Y, Nishimoto I, Matsuoka M (Dec 2001). "ik3-1/Cables is a substrate for cyclin-dependent kinase 3 (cdk 3)". European Journal of Biochemistry / FEBS. 268 (23): 6076–82. doi:10.1046/j.0014-2956.2001.02555.x. PMID11733001.
He Y, Cress WD (Jun 2002). "E2F-3B is a physiological target of cyclin A". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 277 (26): 23493–9. doi:10.1074/jbc.M202629200. PMID11980909.