Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Hox genes, a subset of homeobox genes, are a group of related genes that specify regions of the body plan of an embryo along the head-tail axis of animals. Hox proteins encode and specify the characteristics of 'position', ensuring that the correct structures form in the correct places of the body.
The main interest in this set of genes stems from their unique behavior and arrangement in the genome. Hox genes are typically found in an organized cluster. The linear order of Hox genes within a cluster is directly correlated to the order in which they are expressed in both time and space during development. This phenomenon is called colinearity.
Hox genes are a subset of the homeobox genes. The Hox genes are often conserved across species, so some of the Hox genes of Drosophila are homologous to those in humans. In general, Hox genes play a role of regulating expression of genes as well as aiding in development and assignment of specific structures during embryonic growth.
Homeobox protein Hox-C6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HOXC6 gene. [5] [6] [7] Hox-C6 expression is highest in the fallopian tube and ovary. [8]HoxC6 has been highly expressed in many types of cancers including prostate, breast, and esophageal squamous cell cancer.
This gene and other HOXB genes form a gene cluster on chromosome 17 in the 17q21.32 region. [6] Men who inherit a rare (<0.1% in a selected group of patients without clinical signs of prostate cancer ) genetic variant in HOXB13 (G84E or rs138213197) have a 10-20-fold increased risk of prostate cancer.
The homeobox gene clusters studied by Ed Lewis were named the Hox genes, although many more homeobox genes are encoded by animal genomes than those in the Hox gene clusters. The homeotic-function of certain proteins was first postulated to be that of a "selector" as proposed by Antonio Garcia-Bellido. [11]
This gene is part of the A cluster on chromosome 7 and encodes a DNA-binding transcription factor which may regulate gene expression, morphogenesis, and cellular differentiation. The homeobox protein Hox-A1 may be involved in the placement of hindbrain segments in the proper location along the anterior-posterior axis during development. [8]
An example of a gene cluster is the Hox gene, which is made up of eight genes and is part of the Homeobox gene family. Hox genes have been observed among various phylum. Eight genes make up the Hox gene Drosophila. The number of Hox genes may vary among organisms, but the Hox genes collectively make up the Homeobox family.