ZBED1, also known as DREF, is the human homolog of the Drosophila protein DREF, a transcriptional regulatory factor required for expression of genes involved in DNA replication and cell proliferation. RNA interference (RNAi) experiments targeting ZBED1 RNA resulted in the inhibition of S phase entry and reduction of histone H1 mRNA in HeLa cells, suggesting that ZBED1 also plays a role in cell proliferation in human cells. At least 22 ribosomal proteins (RPs) possess ZBED1 binding sites in their promoters, anti-ZBED1 RNAi also resulted in decreased RP gene expression. Immunoprecipitation analyses have shown that ZBED1 self-associates in vivo via a carboxyl-terminal hATC domain, and this self-association is required for nuclear localization and DNA binding.Synonyms: ALTE, DREF, KIAA0785, Putative Ac-like transposable element, Zinc finger BED domain-containing protein 1, dREF homolog