EBF2

EBF2, or Early B-cell Factor 2, is a transcription factor in the EBF family, which includes related proteins such as EBF1, EBF3, and EBF4. The protein is encoded by the human EBF2 gene. EBF proteins share a conserved DNA-binding domain and can form homodimers or heterodimers, enabling sequence-specific regulation of target genes.

EBF2 participates in multiple developmental contexts. In the immune system, EBF family members guide B cell lineage specification and maturation; EBF2 is thought to contribute to these programs in cooperation with other transcription factors, though EBF1 is the primary driver. In the nervous system, EBF2 is expressed in subsets of neurons and olfactory receptor neurons and is involved in neuronal differentiation and connectivity, as well as the development of the olfactory system.

Expression studies show EBF2 mRNA and protein in developing B cells, various brain regions, and the olfactory epithelium, with species-specific patterns. EBF2 regulates target genes by binding to EBF-responsive elements in promoters and enhancers, recruiting co-activators to promote transcription or, in certain contexts, co-repressors to modulate gene expression.

Disruptions or altered regulation of EBF family members have been linked to hematopoietic and neurodevelopmental phenotypes in model systems, and to cancers involving B-lineage cells; the specific contribution of EBF2 to human disease remains an area of ongoing research.