该基因编码螺旋环螺旋转录因子e蛋白（Ⅰ类）家族的一个成员。e蛋白以异二聚体或同二聚体的形式与靶基因上的调节e-box序列结合，从而激活转录，并被dna结合抑制剂（iv类）螺旋环螺旋蛋白的异二聚体抑制。e蛋白在淋巴细胞生成中起关键作用，其编码蛋白是b淋巴细胞和t淋巴细胞发育所必需的。该基因缺失或编码蛋白活性降低可能在淋巴恶性肿瘤中起作用。该基因还参与一些与淋巴恶性肿瘤相关的染色体易位，包括前b细胞急性淋巴细胞白血病（t（1；19），pbx1，儿童白血病（t（19；19），tfpt）和急性白血病（t（12；19），znf384）。另外，该基因的剪接转录变体编码多种亚型，并且该基因的假基因位于9号染色体的短臂上。[由RefSeq提供，2011年9月]
This gene encodes a member of the E protein (class I) family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors. E proteins activate transcription by binding to regulatory E-box sequences on target genes as heterodimers or homodimers, and are inhibited by heterodimerization with inhibitor of DNA-binding (class IV) helix-loop-helix proteins. E proteins play a critical role in lymphopoiesis, and the encoded protein is required for B and T lymphocyte development. Deletion of this gene or diminished activity of the encoded protein may play a role in lymphoid malignancies. This gene is also involved in several chromosomal translocations that are associated with lymphoid malignancies including pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (t(1;19), with PBX1), childhood leukemia (t(19;19), with TFPT) and acute leukemia (t(12;19), with ZNF384). Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene, and a pseudogene of this gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 9. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2011]