DRE is a regulatory sequence that silences basal transcription and is localized to the promoter region of the gene encoding human prodynorphin, an opioid peptide involved in memory acquisition and pain. DREAM forms functional homotetramers that are required for the interaction with the DRE. This association is highly influenced by calcium, as an increase in Ca2+- directly inhibits DREAM binding and thereby blocks the repressor activity of DREAM. DREAM transcripts are detected in brain, thymus and thyroid gland, and it is expressed as a nuclear protein. DREAM has been shown to inhibit transcription of other proteins containing DRE-like motifs, including the gene encoding for the AP-1 transcription factor c-Fos, suggesting that DREAM may influence a wide variety of cellular genes.