Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NPAS4 gene.^[5] The NPAS4 gene is a neuronal activity-dependent immediate early gene that has been identified as a transcription factor. The protein regulates the transcription of genes that control inhibitory synapse development, synaptic plasticity and most recently reported also behavior.^[6]

Quick Facts NPAS4, Identifiers ...

NPAS4
Identifiers
Aliases	NPAS4, Le-PAS, NXF, PASD10, bHLHe79, neuronal PAS domain protein 4
External IDs	OMIM: 608554 MGI: 2664186 HomoloGene: 15333 GeneCards: NPAS4
Gene location (Human) Chr. Chromosome 11 (human)[1] Band 11q13.2 Start 66,421,004 bp[1] End 66,426,707 bp[1]
Gene location (Mouse) Chr. Chromosome 19 (mouse)[2] Band 19|19 A Start 5,034,383 bp[2] End 5,040,344 bp[2]
RNA expression pattern Bgee Human Mouse (ortholog) Top expressed in pituitary gland anterior pituitary left uterine tube gastric mucosa smooth muscle tissue popliteal artery thoracic aorta ascending aorta myometrium prefrontal cortex Top expressed in islet of Langerhans female urethra superior frontal gyrus prefrontal cortex nucleus accumbens olfactory bulb cerebellar cortex hippocampus proper temporal lobe amygdala More reference expression data BioGPS n/a
Gene ontology Molecular function DNA binding DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific protein dimerization activity RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding protein binding protein heterodimerization activity DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific Cellular component postsynapse transcription regulator complex nucleus Biological process positive regulation of transcription, DNA-templated regulation of transcription, DNA-templated cellular response to corticosterone stimulus positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II transcription, DNA-templated transcription by RNA polymerase II nervous system development learning short-term memory long-term memory cell differentiation regulation of synaptic transmission, GABAergic social behavior regulation of synaptic plasticity excitatory postsynaptic potential inhibitory postsynaptic potential inhibitory synapse assembly regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs Species Human Mouse Entrez 266743 225872 Ensembl ENSG00000174576 ENSMUSG00000045903 UniProt Q8IUM7 Q8BGD7 RefSeq (mRNA) NM_178864 NM_001318804 NM_153553 RefSeq (protein) NP_001305733 NP_849195 NP_705781 Location (UCSC) Chr 11: 66.42 – 66.43 Mb Chr 19: 5.03 – 5.04 Mb PubMed search [3] [4]
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NPAS4 is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix-PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH-PAS) class of transcriptional regulators, which are involved in a wide range of physiologic and developmental events (Ooe et al., 2004 [PubMed 14701734]).[supplied by OMIM, Mar 2008].

NPAS4 has been shown by Dr. Brenda Bloodgood to play critical roles in regulating the plasticity of inhibitory neurons. She found that NPAS4 helps to regulate plasticity by orchestrating a redistribution of inhibitory synapses, wherein they are lost from proximal apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons and increased on the somata.^[7]