Anti-NPAS4 Antibody

Transcription factor expressed in neurons of the brain that regulates the excitatory-inhibitory balance within neural circuits and is required for contextual memory in the hyppocampus (By similarity) . Plays a key role in the structural and functional plasticity of neurons (By similarity) . Acts as an early-response transcription factor in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, where it induces distinct but overlapping sets of late-response genes in these two types of neurons, allowing the synapses that form on inhibitory and excitatory neurons to be modified by neuronal activity in a manner specific to their function within a circuit, thereby facilitating appropriate circuit responses to sensory experience (By similarity) . In excitatory neurons, activates transcription of BDNF, which in turn controls the number of GABA-releasing synapses that form on excitatory neurons, thereby promoting an increased number of inhibitory synapses on excitatory neurons (By similarity) . In inhibitory neurons, regulates a distinct set of target genes that serve to increase excitatory input onto somatostatin neurons, probably resulting in enhanced feedback inhibition within cortical circuits (By similarity) . The excitatory and inhibitory balance in neurons affects a number of processes, such as short-term and long-term memory, acquisition of experience, fear memory, response to stress and social behavior (By similarity) . Acts as a regulator of dendritic spine development in olfactory bulb granule cells in a sensory-experience-dependent manner by regulating expression of MDM2 (By similarity) . Efficient DNA binding requires dimerization with another bHLH protein, such as ARNT, ARNT2 or BMAL1 (PubMed:14701734) . Can activate the CME (CNS midline enhancer) element (PubMed:14701734) .