Background information
ARID3A, also known as DRIL1 in humans and Bright (for B cell regulator of IgH transcription) in mice, are the mammalian homologs of the Drosophila Dri (dead ringer) protein. ARID3A is developmentally regulated and is expressed in a restricted set of cells, including differentiating cells of the gut and salivary glands. ARID3A represents a member of a unique family of transcriptional activators that shares sequence similarity to proteins of SWI/SNF complexes; it contains an A/T-rich DNA-binding (ARID) domain and a distinct domain involved in tetramerization. The gene encoding ARID3A is linked to a marker of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, which is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by melanocytic macules of the lips, multiple gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps and an increased risk for various neoplasms, including gastrointestinal cancer. E2FBP1 (E2F-1 binding protein 1) is identical to ARID3A in the carboxy terminal region. E2FBP1 appears to lack DNA binding and transactivation domains, and it functions to regulate the transcription of proteins involved in cell proliferation by binding to the transcription factor E2F-1.
