Immunoglobulin Transcription Factor 2 (ITF2)

ITF2 encodes transcription factor 4, a basic helix-turn-helix transcription factor. The encoded protein recognizes an Ephrussi-box ('E-box') binding site ('CANNTG') - a motif first identified in immunoglobulin enhancers. This gene is expressed predominantly in pre-B-cells, although it is found in other tissues as well. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different proteins have been described.Sequencing revealed that this factor was the murine homolog of human SEF2-1B. DNA binding studies demonstrated that the basal transcription factor TFIIB can be tethered to the SSTR2 initiator element through physical interaction with SEF2. Northern blot analysis revealed that SEF2-1B is expressed in human adult and embryonic tissues including heart, brain, placenta, skeletal muscle, and lung.