neurogenic differentiation factor 2; neuroD2; class A basic helix-loop-helix protein 1; bHLHa1; neuroD-related factor; NDRF (NEUROD2, BHLHA1, NDRF)

Function

• transcriptional regulator
• implicated in neuronal determination
• mediates Ca+2-dependent transcription activation by binding to E box-containing promoter
• critical factor essential for the repression of the genetic program for neuronal differentiation
  • prevents the formation of synaptic vesicle clustering at active zone to the presynaptic membrane in postmitotic neurons
• induces transcription of ZEB1, which in turn represses neuronal differentiation by down-regulating REST expression
• role in the establishment & maturation of thalamocortical connections
  • involved in the segregation of thalamic afferents into distinct barrel domains within layer VI of the somatosensory cortex
  • involved in development of
    • cerebellar & hippocampal granular neurons
    • neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala
    • neurons in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis
• associates with chromatin to the DPYSL3 E box-containing promoter (putative)
• interacts with TCF3, TCF4 & TCF12
• interacts with CDC20
• efficient DNA-binding & transcription activation require dimerization with another bHLH protein (putative)

Structure

• the C-terminus region is necessary for depolarization- induced & Ca+2-dependent transcription activation
• contains 1 basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain

Compartment

nucleus (putative)

More general terms

• neurogenic differentiation factor

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=4761
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4761
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/601725
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q15784.html