Basic Helix Loop Helix Domain Containing Protein B3 (BHLHB3)

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are related to Drosophila hairy/enhancer of split proteins. They are involved in the control of proliferation and development during differentiation, particularly in neurons.The deduced 482-amino acid human DEC2 protein contains a bHLH domain and an Orange domain that are highly conserved with those of mouse Dec2 and rat Sharp1. DEC2 also has a C-terminal alanine/glycine-rich region not seen in DEC1. Northern blot analysis detected a 3.6-kb DEC2 transcript that was highly expressed in skeletal muscle and brain, moderately expressed in pancreas and heart, expressed at low levels in placenta and lung, and expressed at very low levels in liver and kidney. RT-PCR analysis detected ubiquitous but variable expression of DEC2.