ABF1 is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein involved in transcription activation, gene silencing and initiation of DNA replication. ABF1 is known to remodel chromatin, and it is proposed that it mediates its effects on transcription and gene expression by modifying local chromatin architecture [1]. These functions require a conserved stretch of 20 amino acids in the C-terminal region of ABF1 (amino acids 639 to 662 S. cerevisiae (Swiss:P14164)) [1]. The N-terminal two thirds of the protein are necessary for DNA binding, and the N-terminus (amino acids 9 to 91 in S. cerevisiae) is thought to contain a novel zinc-finger motif which may stabilise the protein structure [2].

1: Identification of a multifunctional domain in autonomously replicating sequence-binding factor 1 required for transcriptional activation, DNA replication, and gene silencing. Miyake T, Loch CM, Li R; Mol Cell Biol 2002;22:505-516. PMID:11756546

2: Kluyveromyces contains a functional ABF1-homologue. Goncalves PM, Maurer K, Mager WH, Planta RJ; Nucleic Acids Res 1992;20:2211-2215. PMID:1594441