E4BP4, also known as NFIL3, functions as a transcriptional repressor and is a member of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family. E4BP4 binds with high specificity to the E4 ATF, which is a DNA sequence traditionally targeted by the ATF/CREB family of transcription factors. A 65 amino acid segment located in the carboxy-terminus of E4BP4 interacts specifically with the TBP binding protein Dr1. In the suprachiasmatic nucleus, circadian center and liver, E4BP4 competes with PAR proteins for DNA binding via a reciprocating mechanism. The phase expression of E4BP4 correlates with the circadian cycle and represses transcription of genes otherwise activated by PAR transcription regulators. E4BP4 also plays an important role in an IL-3-mediated signaling pathway that is responsible for the survival of B cell progenitors. The gene encoding human E4BP4 maps to chromosome 9q22.