Homeobox Protein B1 (HOXB1)

HOXB1 belongs to the homeobox 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, located on different chromosomes, consisting of 9 to 11 genes arranged in tandem. This gene is one of several homeobox HOXB genes located in a cluster on chromosome 17.Hoxb genes are first activated in a temporal colinear fashion in precursors located in the epiblast lateral to the primitive streak. Their data suggested that colinear activation of Hoxb genes regulates the flux of cells from the epiblast to the streak and thus directly controls the establishment of the genes' characteristic nested expression domains in the somites.