The Ets family of proteins: weak modulators of gene expression in quest for transcriptional partners

Abstract

Members of the Ets family of transcriptional regulators play pivotal roles in physiological processes, such as embryonic development or immune response. The Ets family proteins possess unique regulatory features because they bind DNA as monomers and their respective activities rely more on their ability to interact with other transcription factors than on their specific binding to a cognate DNA sequence. This review focuses on such interactions and also explores dysregulated expression of the Ets proteins in human cancers.