ATOH8
Description
The ATOH8 (atonal bHLH transcription factor 8) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 2.
ATOH8 is a transcription factor that binds to a specific DNA sequence called an E-box element. It may do this as a heterodimer with other bHLH proteins. It regulates endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube-like structure formation. It modulates endothelial cell differentiation through NOS3. ATOH8 may be involved in the specification and differentiation of neuronal cell lineages in the brain, as well as in kidney development and podocyte differentiation. During early embryonic development, it plays a role in tissue-specific differentiation processes that depend on class II bHLH factors and modulates the differentiation program initiated by NEUROG3. During myogenesis, it may have a role in the transition of myoblasts from proliferation to differentiation. ATOH8 positively regulates HAMP transcription in two ways: directly by binding to the HAMP promoter via E-boxes, and indirectly by increasing phosphorylation of the SMAD protein complex. It represses NEUROG3-dependent gene activation in a gene-specific manner through two mechanisms: either by sequestering a general partner such as TCF3 through heterodimerization or by binding of the bHLH domain to DNA via a basic motif.
ATOH8 is also known as HATH6, bHLHa21.
