DACH1 Background Information DACH1 (Dachshund homolog 1), also known as DACH, is a 758 amino acid homolog of the Drosophila dachshund gene that encodes a nuclear factor involved in eye, leg and nervous system development. Localized to the nucleus and expressed throughout the body, DACH1 is a transcription factor that regulates the activation of a variety of genes involved in organogenesis and is crucial in proper eye formation. Through association with SMAD4 and NCOR1, DACH1 is able to inhibit the TGF-beta signaling pathway and, via its DACHbox-N domain, can bind directly to chromatin where it regulates transcription. Additionally, DACH1 can block cellular proliferation and growth of human breast cancer cells, suggesting a possible role in tumor suppression. Four isoforms of DACH1 exist due to alternative splicing events.
