Homeobox protein Hox-C8 is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''HOXC8''
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
.
Function
This gene belongs to the
homeobox
A homeobox is a Nucleic acid sequence, DNA sequence, around 180 base pairs long, that regulates large-scale anatomical features in the early stages of embryonic development. Mutations in a homeobox may change large-scale anatomical features of ...
family of genes. The homeobox genes encode a highly conserved family of transcription factors that play an important role in morphogenesis in all multicellular organisms. Mammals possess four similar homeobox gene clusters, HOXA, HOXB, HOXC and HOXD, which are located on different chromosomes and consist of 9 to 11 genes arranged in tandem. This gene is one of several homeobox HOXC genes located in a cluster on chromosome 12. The product of this gene may play a role in the regulation of cartilage differentiation. It could also be involved in chondrodysplasias or other cartilage disorders.
HOXC8 was found to have activity in promoting nerve growth and its expression is dysregulated in patients with
neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis (NF) refers to a group of three distinct genetic conditions in which tumors grow in the nervous system. The tumors are non-cancerous (benign) and often involve the skin or surrounding bone. Although symptoms are often mild, e ...
type 1.
See also
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Homeobox
A homeobox is a Nucleic acid sequence, DNA sequence, around 180 base pairs long, that regulates large-scale anatomical features in the early stages of embryonic development. Mutations in a homeobox may change large-scale anatomical features of ...
Interactions
HOXC8 has been shown to
interact with
Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 6
SMAD family member 6, also known as SMAD6, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMAD6'' gene.
SMAD6 is a protein that, as its name describes, is a homolog of the Drosophila gene " mothers against decapentaplegic". It belongs to the SM ...
and
Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 1.
References
Further reading
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External links
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Transcription factors
{{gene-12-stub