SAFB: Proteins and Enzymes

SAFB encodes a DNA-binding protein that has high specificity for scaffold or matrix attachment region DNA elements (S/MAR DNA). This protein is thought to be involved in attaching the base of chromatin loops to the nuclear matrix but there is conflicting evidence as to whether this protein is a component of chromatin or a nuclear matrix protein. Scaffold attachment factors are a specific subset of nuclear matrix proteins (NMP) that specifically bind to S/MAR. This encoded protein is thought to serve as a molecular base to assemble a 'transcriptosome complex' in the vicinity of actively transcribed genes. It is involved in the regulation of the heat shock protein 27 transcription and also can act as an estrogen receptor corepressor. This gene is a candidate gene for breast tumorigenesis.