bHLH转录因子在真核生物生长发育调控过程中具有重要作用。动物bHLH转录因子包含45个家族, 分别参与调控神经元发生、肌细胞生成、肠组织发育以及环境毒素响应等生物学过程。过去20年里, 研究人员对动物bHLH家族成员鉴定及其生物学功能开展了广泛的研究。文章在介绍动物45个bHLH家族名称来源的基础上, 综述了小鼠、果蝇和线虫3种模式动物bHLH家族成员及其功能的研究进展。小鼠、果蝇和线虫中分别有114、59和42种bHLH蛋白。其中, 小鼠108种、果蝇47种和线虫20种bHLH蛋白的功能已比较明确, 功能未知的22种线虫bHLH蛋白中还有15种尚未归入相应家族。文章也对部分被误用的bHLH家族成员名称做了说明, 可为相关研究人员深入开展bHLH转录因子结构与功能的研究提供较为清晰和系统的背景资料。
bHLH transcription factors play essential roles in the regulation of eukaryotic growth and development. Animal bHLH transcription factors comprise of 45 families. They are involved in regulating biological processes such as neurogenesis, myogenesis, gut development and response to environmental toxins. In the past two decades, extensive studies had been conducted on identification of bHLH family members and their biological functions in animals. Based on introduction of origin of the 45 animal bHLH family names, this article reviewed the progresses of studies on bHLH family members and functions of three model animals namely mouse, fruit fly and nematode. There are 114, 59 and 42 bHLH proteins in mouse, fruit fly and nematode, respectively. Among them, the functions of 108 mouse, 47 fruit fly and 20 nematode bHLH proteins have been well characterized. Among the 22 nematode bHLH proteins of unknown functions, 15 have not yet been assigned into certain families. This article also explained misused names of several bHLH family members, thus providing clear and overall background information for relevant researchers to conduct in-depth studies on structures and functions of bHLH transcription factors.
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