Mohawk Homeobox Protein (MKX)

MKX is a member of an Iroquois (IRX) family-related class of 'three-amino acid loop extension' (TALE) atypical homeobox proteins characterized by 3 additional amino acids in the loop region between helix I and helix II of the homeodomain.

The deduced 352-amino acid protein has an N-terminal bipartite nuclear localization signal followed by a homeodomain between amino acids 72 and 130. A comparison of the MKX protein with IRX family members showed that MKX shares the highest similarity with IRX4 and IRX6. MKX shares 89% and 69% sequence identity with the mouse and zebrafish Mkx proteins, respectively. EST database analysis suggested ubiquitous MKX expression.