ELL Associated Factor 1 (EAF1)

The deduced 268-amino acid EAF1 protein contains a region rich in serine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid residues in the C terminus that shares homology with the transcriptional activation domains of several translocation partner proteins of MLL, including AF4 and LAF4. Northern blot analysis detected a 4.5-kb transcript in all tissues examined except thymus, which demonstrated only minimal expression. An additional approximately 2.0-kb transcript was detected in testis and skeletal muscle. Incubation of HeLa and 293 cells with EAF1 antibody demonstrated a speckled nuclear pattern in nondividing cells and a diffuse pattern in dividing cells.In leukemic cell lines derived from mice transplanted with MLL/ELL-transduced bone marrow, EAF1 speckles were not detected.