Mariko Tsuchiya, Ryoichi Misaka, Institute of Geriatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan.
World J Diabetes. 2015 Feb 15;6(1):175-83. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i1.175.
The Maf family of transcription factors is characterized by a typical bZip structure; these transcription factors act as important regulators of the development and differentiation of many organs and tissues, including the kidney. The Maf family consists of two subgroups that are characterized according to their structure: large Maf transcription factors and small Maf transcription factors. The large Maf subgroup consists of four proteins, designated as MAFA, MAFB, c-MAF and neural retina-specific leucine zipper. In particular, MAFA is a distinct molecule that has been attracting the attention of researchers because it acts as a strong transactivator of insulin, suggesting that Maf transcription factors are likely to be involved in systemic energy homeostasis. In this review, we focused on the regulation of glucose/energy balance by Maf transcription factors in various organs.
Maf 家族转录因子的特征是具有典型的 bZip 结构；这些转录因子作为许多器官和组织（包括肾脏）发育和分化的重要调节剂。Maf 家族由两个亚组组成，它们的结构特征是：大 Maf 转录因子和小 Maf 转录因子。大 Maf 亚组由四种蛋白质组成，分别命名为 MAFA、MAFB、c-MAF 和神经视网膜特异性亮氨酸拉链。特别是，MAFA 是一种独特的分子，一直引起研究人员的关注，因为它作为胰岛素的强反式激活剂发挥作用，这表明 Maf 转录因子可能参与全身能量稳态。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了 Maf 转录因子在各种器官中对葡萄糖/能量平衡的调节。
