Basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like, also known as BATF, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the gene.
The protein encoded by this gene is a nuclear basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein that belongs to the AP-1/ATF superfamily of transcription factors. The leucine zipper of this protein mediates dimerization with members of the Jun family of proteins. This protein is thought to be a negative regulator of AP-1/ATF transcriptional events.
Mice without the BATF gene (BATF knockout mice) lacked a type of inflammatory immune cell (Th17) and were resistant to conditions that normally induces an autoimmune condition similar to multiple sclerosis.
BATF (gene) has been shown to interact with IFI35.