The Rel family of proteins includes a number of proteins involved in transcriptional control, such as the retroviral oncoprotein v-Rel, c-Rel, the Drosophila melanogaster developmental protein Dorsal, and subunits of the transcription factor NF-KB. These proteins are related through a highly conserved domain of approximately 300 amino acids, called the Rel homology domain, that contains dimerization, DNA binding, and nuclear targeting functions. Also within the Rel homology domain, there is a conserved consensus sequence (Arg-Arg-Pro-Ser) for phosphorylation by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). We used Ilnker insertion mutagenesis and site-directed mutagenesis to determine the importance of this sequence In addition, they suggest that phosphorylation at the conserved PKA site could have a negative effect on transformation and transcriptional repression by v-Rel and induce the nuclear localization of c-Rel.