Ladybird Homeobox Protein 1 (LBX1)

LBX1 and the orthologous mouse gene were found by their homology to the Drosophila lady bird early and late homeobox genes. In the mouse, this gene is a key regulator of muscle precursor cell migration and is required for the acquisition of dorsal identities of forelimb muscles.

The human LBX1 gene encodes a 280-amino acid protein that shows 94% identity to the mouse protein. Several amino acid residues inside and around the homeodomain have been conserved between the mammalian LBX genes and their Drosophila counterparts. Mouse Lbx1 gene is specifically expressed during embryogenesis, with expression restricted to the developing central nervous system and muscles.