Predicted to enable DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific and RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Involved in gonad development. Acts upstream of or within gonadal mesoderm development and positive regulation of muscle cell differentiation. Predicted to be located in nucleus. Is expressed in several structures, including Da; Daa; Dap; pharynx; and somatic gonad precursor. Orthologous to human HAND1 (heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 1).
WB Description
hnd-1 encodes a Hand bHLH transcription factor required for normal viability, gonadogenesis, and posterior body morphology; HND-1 is required for the formation of both somatic gonadal precursors and primordial germ cells, but not for later gonadogenesis; HND-1 is expressed embryogenesis in embryonic mesodermal precursor cells generating (mostly) body wall muscle, in somatic gonad precursor cells, and in some unidentified head cells; the primary defect in hnd-1 mutants may be, nonautonomously, in mesodermal precursor cells; somatic gonad precursor cells are normally generated in hnd-1 mutants, but not maintained.