Characterization of a cyclic AMP regulatory element DNA-binding protein

Signal transduction pathways converge ultimately at the level of transcriptional activation to produce specific patterns of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. The initiation of transcription mediated by these signaling pathways is regulated by the coordinate expression and/or activation of specific transcription factors that bind to the control regions of eukaryotic genes. Specific insights into the mechanisms underlying transcriptional activation have arisen from the studies of the structure and functions of eukaryotic transcription factors. One of these factors, a cyclic (c)AMP response element binding protein (CREB), has only recently been discovered and appears to play a key role in the regulation of gene expression in response to the activation of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A. The transcription factors related to CREB, c-jun and c-fos, mediate transcriptional responses to activators of protein kinase C.