HOX genes: molecular genetics and effect of mutation

Rezk, Hassan M.; Sakr, Hader I.; Ismail, Abeer O.; Almowallad, Alaa A.; Almaqboul, Taif M.; Alqawlaq, Abdulelah K.; Albassam, Joud A.; Bukhari, Abdulaziz A.; Almoshawar, Hadi H.

doi:10.4103/epj.epj_172_24

HOX genes: molecular genetics and effect of mutation

Authors

Abstract

In vertebrates, the axial skeleton, limbs, stomach, urogenital tract, and external genitalia all develop partly controlled by the homeobox-containing HOX gene families, which are deeply conserved throughout animal evolution. Much knowledge has been learned about the functions of HOX genes in many physiological and pathologic processes since their original discovery. There are 39 HOX genes in mammals, separated into the HOX A, B, C, and D clusters. Thirty-nine homeobox genes in mammals are clustered into four clusters: HOX A–D, with a correlation between mutations of HOXB13, most often G84E, with breast, colorectal, and early-onset prostate cancer in humans. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of homeobox signaling in genitourinary development and cancer and the role of homeobox protein cofactors in both development and cancer.

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