AATF (apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor) was initially discovered as an interaction partner of ZIP kinase (ZIPK), a member of death-associated protein (DAP) kinase family of pro-apoptotic serine/threonine kinases. AATF is a phosphoprotein containing an acidic region and a putative leucine zipper domain and nuclear localization signal, features which are typical of transcription factors. AATF inhibits the ZIPK-mediated pro-apoptotic pathway and may activate other anti-apoptotic pathways. Recently, it has also been shown to protect neural cells against oxidative damage induced by amyloid b-peptide and to inhibit aberrant production of the beta-peptide by interacting with Par-4 (prostate apoptosis response-4), another pro-apoptotic leucine zipper protein that is associated with neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting that AATF may have potential therapeutic applications in both familial and sporadic forms of AD.
