The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the E2F family of transcription factors. Functional inactivation of Rb can be mediated either through mutation or as a consequence of interaction with
DNA tumor virus-encoded proteins. The E2F proteins contain several evolutionally conserved domains found in most members of the family. Sequences that are homologous to the E2F binding site have been found upstream of a number of genes that encode proteins with putative functions in the G1 and S phases of the cell cycle. E2F2 exhibits overall 46% amino acid identity to E2F1.
