Myc-associated factor X (MAX) human

The gene encoding this protein is localized on human chromosome 14q23.

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The MAX gene encodes a protein that interacts specifically with the Myc protein to form a heterodimer with high affinity for the specific cognate DNA-binding site of Myc. The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHZ) family of transcription factors. It is able to form homodimers and heterodimers with other family members, which include MAD, MXI1 and Myc. Myc is an oncoprotein implicated in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The homodimers and heterodimers compete for a common DNA target site (the E box) and rearrangement among these dimer forms provides a complex system of transcriptional regulation. Substantial evidence has been accumulated over the last years that support the model that Myc/MAX/MAD proteins affect different aspects of cell behavior, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, by modulating distinct target genes. The unbalanced expression of these genes, e.g. in response to deregulated Myc expression, is most likely an important aspect of Myc`s ability to stimulate tumor formation. It is reported that in vivo transactivation assays suggest that Myc-MAX and MAD-MAX complexes have opposing functions in transcription and that MAX plays a central role in this network of transcription factors. High levels of MAX and stress-induced NFkappaB activation may result in elevated expression of Fas ligand in human lung cancer cells and possibly contribute to Fas ligand-associated immune escape mechanisms.

This protein has been associated with familial pheochromocytoma (PCC).