| Modification Notes |
ETO and ETO-2, which are alternatively designated MTG8 and MTG16, respectively, are members of the ETO transcription factor family. These transcription factors are characterized by a zinc-finger domain and four conserved domains, of which domain II is required for dimerization between family members. ETO and ETO-2 may function to mediate interactions between DNA binding proteins and transcriptional regulators, such as N-CoR. Frequently, the t(8;21) translocation of ETO produces the AML-1/ETO oncoprotein, which consists of the first 177 amino acids of AML-1 and all but the first 30 amino acids of ETO. AML-1/ETO expression is observed in 12–15% of acute myelogenous, M2 subtype leukemias. The AML-1/ETO fusion proteins associate with multimeric N-CoR/mSin3/HDAC1 complexes, block differentiation and induce transcriptional repression by altering chromatin remodeling. |