Basic Helix Loop Helix Family, Member e23 (BHLHE23)

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins, such as BHLHB4, are transcriptional regulators. The deduced 223-amino acid protein contains a central bHLH domain and has a calculated molecular mass of 27 kD. By SDS-PAGE, the protein has an apparent molecular mass of 30 to 35 kD. In situ hybridization of mouse embryos detected Bhlhb4 expression restricted to regions of the nervous system and to pancreas. In the nervous system, prominent Bhlhb4 expression was detected in the diencephalon, where it flanked either side of the roof of the third ventricle, dorsal/caudal to the dorsal thalamus. Highest Bhlhb4 expression appeared in the alar plate in the pretectal region. In pancreas, Bhlhb4 was expressed by a small number of duct epithelium cells only between embryonic days 12 and 14.