Brain Expressed Protein, X-Linked 2 (BEX2)

BEX2 interacts with the transcription factor LIM domain only 2 in a DNA-binding complex that recognizes the E-box element and promotes transcription. This gene has been found to be a tumor suppressor that is silenced in human glioma. In breast cancer cells, this gene product modulates apoptosis in response to estrogen and tamoxifen, and enhances the anti-proliferative effect of tamoxifen. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that BEX2 and LMO2 were part of a DNA-binding complex that recognized the E-box element. Other components of this complex included NSCL2 (NHLH2) and LDB1. LMO2 directly bound NSCL2 and upregulated NSCL2-dependent transcriptional activity, and BEX2 augmented this effect.