HOX proteins
Transcription Factors

DEFINITION

Hox genes are a group of related genes that determine the basic structure and orientation of an organism.

Hox genes are critical for the proper placement of segment structures of animals during early embryonic development (e.g. legs, antennae, and wings in fruit flies or the different vertebrate ribs in humans).

Hox genes are defined as having the following properties:

1. they encode protein with regulatory function such as transcription
2. they contain within them a DNA sequence known as the homeobox
3. most of them are linked together in a sequential cluster in the chromosome
4. they are organized on the sequential cluster in the order of their expression pattern along the cephalo-caudal (head to tail) axis of the organism.

THE GENE

Database	Link
Wikigenes	ACADM
GeneCards	"URL":
Your Favorite Gene Sigma	"URL":

Effects of HOX homeobox genes in blood cell differentiation 1997

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE AND IMAGES

When relevant for the function

• Primary structure
• Secondary structure
• Tertiary structure
  • PDB
• Quaternary structure

Protein Aminoacids Percentage
The Protein Aminoacids Percentage gives useful information on the local environment and the metabolic status of the cell (starvation, lack of essential AA, hypoxia)

Protein Aminoacids Percentage (Width 700 px)

SYNTHESIS AND TURNOVER

mRNA synthesis
protein synthesis

post-translational modifications
degradation

CELLULAR FUNCTIONS

cellular localization,
biological function

• Enzymes

Database	Link
BRENDA - The Comprehensive Enzyme Information System	"URL":
KEGG Pathways	"URL":
Human Metabolome Database	"URL":

• Cell signaling and Ligand transport
• Structural proteins

REGULATION

DIAGNOSTIC USE