It is able to form homodimers with other MAX proteins and heterodimers with other transcription factors, including Mad, Mxl1 and Myc.

The homodimers and heterodimers compete for a common DNA target site (the E-box) in a gene promoter zone.

[7] Transcriptionally active hetero- and homodimers involving Max can promote cell proliferation as well as apoptosis.

Furthermore, Max required BRG1 to activate neuroendocrine transcriptional programs and to up-regulate Myc targets, such as glycolytic-related genes.

[26] This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.