Regulation of gene expression by transcription factors Ets‐1 and Ets‐2

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Abstract
The ETS family of transcription factors have a DNA‐binding domain in common that binds a core GGA(A/T) DNA sequence. A large number of proteins have now been identified that contain an ETS DNA‐binding domain (see review by Wasylyk et al., 1993). Ets‐1 was first described as the cellular homolog of v‐ets, which is translated as a 135‐kDa gag–myb—ets fusion protein from the replication‐deficient retrovirus E26 in chickens. Ets‐2 was subsequently described as a closely related protein that contains the highly conserved ETS DNA‐binding domain. This paper considers the manner by which the two closely related genes, Ets‐1 and Ets‐2, apparently play distinct roles in embryo development and in the immune system of adult mice. Although both Ets‐1 and Ets‐2 transform fibroblasts (Seth et al., 1989), the temporal and tissue‐specific expression patterns suggest that these two proteins play distinct biological roles and consequently transactivate different downstream cellular target genes.