Cardiac Specific Homeobox 2 (CSX2)

Homeobox-containing genes play critical roles in regulating tissue-specific gene expression essential for tissue differentiation, as well as determining the temporal and spatial patterns of development. It has been demonstrated that a Drosophila homeobox-containing gene called 'tinman' is essential for development of the heart-like dorsal vessel. NKX2-6 is a vertebrate homolog of 'tinman' (Newman and Krieg, 1998).

In mouse Nkx2-6 is expressed between embryonic day 8.5 and 10.5 with expression detected in all 3 layers of the caudal branchial arches.F151L-homozygous mice were normal, but that Nkx2-5 (600584) expression expanded into regions lacking Nkx2-6, suggesting functional complementation