The krppel-type zinc finger transcription factors comprise a conserved family of DNA binding proteins that are important in developmental regulation. The krppel zinc finger transcription factor was initially identified in Drosophila as a segmentation gene. Krppel-like factors that have been characterized in mammals include erythroid krppel-like transcription factor (EKLF), lung krppel-like transcription factor (LKLF) and gut krppel-like transcription factor (GKLF). EKLF is expressed principally in erythroid tissues, and LKLF expression is limited to the lung. GKLF is found predominantly in gut and has been shown to be expressed during growth arrest. In a developing mouse embryo, LKLF is necessary for normal tunica media formation and blood vessel stabilization. LKLF is also sufficient to program quiescence in T cells by negatively regulating the c-Myc-dependent pathway. The gene for human LKLF maps to chromosome 19p13.11.