Growth arrest and cell cycle progression are regulated by the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor pRB and related proteins p130 and p107 that bind to and inhibit the E2F family of transcription factors. Although the precise mechanism of this inhibition remains to be established, previous studies indicated the presence of transcriptional repression activity in the 'pocket' of RB family members. We show here that RBP1, a known pRB pocket-binding protein, possesses transcriptional repression activity and associates with p130-E2F and pRB-E2F complexes specifically during growth arrest. Overexpression of RBP1 both inhibited E2F-dependent gene expression and suppressed cell growth. Thus repression of E2F-dependent transcription by RBP1 via RB family members may play a central role in inducing growth arrest.