Anti-REST

This gene encodes a transcriptional repressor that represses neuronal genes in non-neuronal tissues. It is a member of the Kruppel-type zinc finger transcription factor family. It represses transcription by binding a DNA sequence element called the neuron-restrictive silencer element. The protein is also found in undifferentiated neuronal progenitor cells and it is thought that this repressor may act as a master negative regular of neurogenesis. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described Protein function: Transcriptional repressor which binds neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE) and represses neuronal gene transcription in non-neuronal cells. Restricts the expression of neuronal genes by associating with two distinct corepressors, mSin3 and CoREST, which in turn recruit histone deacetylase to the promoters of REST-regulated genes. Mediates repression by recruiting the BHC complex at RE1/NRSE sites which acts by deacetylating and demethylating specific sites on histones, thereby acting as a chromatin modifier. Transcriptional repression by REST-CDYL via the recruitment of histone methyltransferase EHMT2 may be important in transformation suppression. Key repressor of gene expression in hypoxia, represses genes in hypoxia by direct binding to an RE1/NRSE site on their promoter regions (PubMed:27531581). Negatively regulates the expression of SRRM3 in breast cancer cell lines (PubMed:26053433). Represses the expression of SRRM4 in non-neural cells to prevent the activation of neural specific splicing events. Acts as a regulator of osteoblast differentiation. [The UniProt Consortium]