| Background |
LITAF (PIG7/SIMPLE) is protein that contributes to the regulation of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. LITAF was identified as a transcription factor involved in LPS-induced TNF-α expression through interaction with the TNF-α promoter. The same protein, called PIG7, was independently described in a model for p53 regulation. A putative alternative spiced form of LITAF, named SIMPLE, encodes a protein with a unique carboxyl terminus. Studies on LITAF-deficient mice demonstrate that LITAF plays a significant role in the regulation of several inflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. The regulation of LITAF can occur through phosphorylation by p38α via the TLR pathway that leads to its nuclear translocation . Mutation in the LITAF/SIMPLE gene has been associated with an autosomal dominant demyelinating form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
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