DEC1 Background Information Human DEC1, also known as SHARP2, is a 412 amino acid, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) containing protein that is involved in the control of proliferation and/or differentiation of several cell types including nerve cells, fibroblasts and chondrocytes. The bHLH region of DEC1 is structurally similar to the bHLH regions of the mammalian HES family, Drosophila hairy and Drosophila Enhancer of split m7. DEC1 is a novel direct target for cAMP in a wide range of cells, and is involved in the control of gene expression in cAMP-activated cells. Brief light impulses induce the expression of DEC1 in a phase-dependent manner. DEC1 is highly expressed in cartilage, intestine, lung and spleen. DEC1 and DEC2 play a role in regulating the mammalian molecular clock by suppressing the transcription of specific clock genes. Both DEC1 and DEC2 are detected in the suprachiasmic nucleus in a circadian fashion.
