This protein belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) family of transcription factors. It activates E-box dependent transcription along with TCF3 (E47).[6] ATOH1 is required for the formation of both neural and non-neural cell types. Using genetic deletion in mice, Atoh1 has been shown to be essential for formation of cerebellar granule neurons, inner ear hair cells, spinal cord interneurons, Merkel cells of the skin, and intestinal secretory cells (goblet, enteroendocrine, and Paneth cells). ATOH1 is a mammalian homolog of the Drosophila melanogaster gene atonal. ATOH1 is considered part of the Notch signaling pathway.
In 2009, ATOH1 was identified as a tumor suppressor gene.
[7][8]
Helms AW, Johnson JE (March 1998). "Progenitors of dorsal commissural interneurons are defined by MATH1 expression". Development. 125 (5): 919–28. doi:10.1242/dev.125.5.919. PMID9449674.
Leonard JH, Cook AL, Van Gele M, Boyle GM, Inglis KJ, Speleman F, Sturm RA (September 2002). "Proneural and proneuroendocrine transcription factor expression in cutaneous mechanoreceptor (Merkel) cells and Merkel cell carcinoma". International Journal of Cancer. 101 (2): 103–10. doi:10.1002/ijc.10554. PMID12209986. S2CID20592545.
Leow CC, Polakis P, Gao WQ (November 2005). "A role for Hath1, a bHLH transcription factor, in colon adenocarcinoma". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1059 (1): 174–83. Bibcode:2005NYASA1059..174L. doi:10.1196/annals.1339.048. PMID16382053. S2CID21443239.
Sekine A, Akiyama Y, Yanagihara K, Yuasa Y (June 2006). "Hath1 up-regulates gastric mucin gene expression in gastric cells". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 344 (4): 1166–71. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.03.238. PMID16647036.
Mutoh H, Sakamoto H, Hayakawa H, Arao Y, Satoh K, Nokubi M, Sugano K (July 2006). "The intestine-specific homeobox gene Cdx2 induces expression of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Math1". Differentiation; Research in Biological Diversity. 74 (6): 313–21. doi:10.1111/j.1432-0436.2006.00074.x. PMID16831200.