oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2; oligo2; class B basic helix-loop-helix protein 1; bHLHb1; class E basic helix-loop-helix protein 19; bHLHe19; protein kinase C-binding protein RACK17; protein kinase C-binding protein 2 (OLIG2, BHLHB1, BHLHE19, PRKCBP2, RACK17)

Function

• required for oligodendrocyte & motor neuron specification in the spinal cord, as well as for the development of somatic motor neurons in the hindbrain
• cooperates with OLIG1 to establish the pMN domain of the embryonic neural tube antagonist of V2 interneuron & of NKX2-2-induced V3 interneuron development (putative)
• interacts with NKX2-2 (putative)

Structure

• the bHLH is essential for interaction with NKX2-2
• contains 1 basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain

Compartment

• nucleus (putative), cytoplasm
• the NLS contained in the bHLH domain could be masked in the native form & translocation to the nucleus could be mediated by interaction either with class E bHLH partner protein or with NKX2-2

Expression

• expressed in the brain, in oligodendrocytes
• strongly expressed in oligodendrogliomas
• expression is weak to moderate in astrocytomas
• expression in glioblastomas highly variable
• induced by SHH.
• also induced by NKX6-1 in the developing spinal cord, but not in the rostral hindbrain (putative)

Pathology

• expressed in oligodendroglial tumors of brain
• chromosomal translocation t(14;21)(q11.2;q22) involving OLIG2 with TCRA may be a cause of a form of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

More general terms

• basic helix loop helix (bHLH) family transcription factor

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=10215
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:10215
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/606386
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q13516.html