Max-like protein X is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MLX gene. The product of this gene belongs to the family of basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip) transcription factors. These factors form heterodimers with Mad proteins and play a role in proliferation, determination and differentiation. This gene product may act to diversify Mad family function by its restricted association with a subset of the Mad family of transcriptional repressors, namely, Mad1 and Mad4. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified for this gene. [provided by RefSeq].
Transcription regulator. Forms a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein complex with MAD1, MAD4, MNT, WBSCR14 and MLXIP which recognizes the core sequence 5'-CACGTG-3'. The TCFL4-MAD1, TCFL4-MAD4, TCFL4-WBSCR14 complexes are transcriptional repressors. Plays a role in transcriptional activation of glycolytic target genes. Involved in glucose-responsive gene regulation.