NK3 Homeobox Protein 2 (NKX3-2)

NKX3-2 belongs to the NK2 class of homeobox genes and plays an essential role in craniofacial development and in ossification of the vertebral column. NKX3-2 has a generalized role in endochondral ossification of both the axial and appendicular skeletal elements.Homeobox-containing genes were originally defined as playing an important role in determining the body axis. Later they were noted to play an important role also in the development of specific organ systems and were found to be mutated in human birth defects. In Drosophila, 'bagpipe' (Nk3) and 'tinman' (Nk2) interact to help determine cell fate in the dorsal mesoderm. Two bagpipe-related genes are known in the mouse: Nkx3.1 and Nkx3.2. The human homolog of Nkx3.1, NKX3A , had been identified.