We cloned MafG-2, a novel splice variant of MafG, from rat brain by RT-PCR method. MafG-2 differs from the previously published MafG by an insertion of 27 amino acids. Sequence analysis of the cDNA-encoded MafG-2 showed that MafG-2 contains basic domain and basic leucine zipper (bZip) motif. Transient transfection studies with GFP-MafG-2 chimera protein indicate that MafG-2 is localized in the nuclei of transfected COS-7 cells. To determine whether gene expression of mafG-2 mRNA is induced by an increase in extracellular protons, we analyzed expression of the mRNA in PC12 cells after an increase in extracellular proton concentration. We found that the mafG-2 mRNA expression increased when extracellular pH was decreased gradually from 7.40 to 7.20 and that there was a significant correlation between extracellular pH value and the expression of mafG-2 mRNA. These results suggest that an increase in extracellular proton may induce the expression of mafG-2 mRNA and MafG-2 may be involved in signal transduction of extracellular of H(+).