HEY2
Description
The HEY2 (hes related family bHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 2) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 6.
HEY2, also known as Cardiovascular helix-loop-helix factor 1 (CHF1), is a transcription factor that belongs to the hairy and enhancer of split-related (HESR) family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-type transcription factors. It forms homo- or hetero-dimers that localize to the nucleus and interact with a histone deacetylase complex to repress transcription. During embryonic development, HEY2 controls the number of cells that develop into cardiac progenitor cells and myocardial cells by repressing transcription. The expression of the Hey2 gene is induced by the Notch signaling pathway, a mechanism where adjacent cells bind via transmembrane notch receptors. Two similar and redundant genes in mouse are required for embryonic cardiovascular development, and are also implicated in neurogenesis and somitogenesis. Knockout studies have shown that the Hey2 gene is involved with the formation of the cardiovascular system and especially the heart itself.
HEY2 is a downstream effector of Notch signaling, potentially crucial for cardiovascular development. It acts as a transcriptional repressor, preferentially binding to the canonical E box sequence 5'-CACGTG-3'. HEY2 suppresses transcription driven by the cardiac transcriptional activators GATA4 and GATA6.
HEY2 is also known as CHF1, GRIDLOCK, GRL, HERP1, HESR2, HRT2, bHLHb32.
