exons 1a, 2, 3, and 1b located 5-8 kb upstream of exon 4; coding region in exon 4 (326 bp)

various mRNA isoforms were found in SUP-T3 and in the mouse, which also encompass upstream exons; gene products, however, always corresponded to the TAL2 protein encoded by exon 4

108 amino acids; basic Helix Loop Helix motif for protein dimerization and DNA-binding

in adult testes; in developing midbrain, dorsal diencephalon, rostroventral diencaphalic/telencephalic boundary, and anterior pons; pivotal role in the development of the mature central nervous system; not expressed during normal hematopoietic development

transcription factor; TAL2 dimerizes with members of the class A subgroup of bHLH proteins (ie E47, E12, E2-2, HEB), as well as LIM-only proteins LMO1 and LMO2; heterodimers are formed intracellularly through stable interaction between bHLH domains of TAL2 and E47; TAL2/E47 heterodimers bind DNA in a sequence-specific manner that is dependent on the E-box element; TAL2/E12 heterodimers also have DNA-binding activity; TAL2 does not bind DNA in absence of E2A proteins; a significant fraction (60%) of TAL2 polypeptides from SUP-T3 exist in phosphorylated form, the rest is unphosphorylated; serine residue 100 of TAL2 is the potential site of phosphorylation by MAP kinases.

TAL1 at 1p31, LYL1 at 19p13; TAL2, TAL1, and LYL1 share more than 85% amino acid identity in the bHLH domain and are thus more related to one other than to other bHLH proteins, for instance c-myc