Phosphorylation regulates transcription factor activity by influencing dimerization, cellular
localization, activation potential, and/or DNA binding. Nevertheless, precisely how this post-
translation modification mediates these processes is poorly understood. Here, we examined
the role of phosphorylation on the DNA-binding properties of MafA and MafB, closely related
transcriptional activators of the basic-leucine zipper (b-Zip) family associated with cell
differentiation and oncogenesis. Many common phosphorylation sites were identified by …