HEN1 and HEN2: a subgroup of basic helix-loop-helix genes that are coexpressed in a human neuroblastoma.
An important family of regulatory molecules is made up of proteins that possess the DNA-binding and dimerization motif known as the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain. The bHLH family includes subgroups of closely related proteins that share common functional properties and overlapping patterns of expression (e.g., the MyoD1 and achaete-scute subgroups). In this report we describe HEN1 and HEN2, mammalian genes that encode a distinct subgroup of bHLH proteins. The HEN1 gene was identified on the basis of cross-hybridization with TAL1, a known bHLH gene implicated in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In situ fluorescence hybridization was used to localize the human HEN1 gene to chromosome band 1q22. HEN1 and HEN2 are coexpressed in the IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cell line, and they encode highly related proteins of 133 and 135 residues, respectively, that share 98% amino acid identity in their hHLH domains. These data imply that the bHLH protein subgroup encoded by HEN1 and HEN2 may serve important regulatory functions in the developing nervous system.
Brown
L
L
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
Espinosa
R
R
Le Beau
M M
MM
Siciliano
M J
MJ
Baer
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C498272:Nhlh1 protein, mouse; C484104:Nhlh2 protein, mouse; C076746:NHLH1 protein, human; C076747:NHLH2 protein, human