Homeobox Gene (Noun)
Meaning
One of various similar homeotic genes that are involved in bodily segmentation during embryonic development.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The Hox genes are a group of related homeobox genes that determine the basic structure and orientation of the cell.
- The Barx2 homeobox gene is activated in subsets of neural crest cells that are committed to the smooth muscle lineage.
- This homeobox gene family encodes transcription factors that are crucial for organ development and cell differentiation.
- Vertebrate homeobox genes are typically clustered in genomic loci based on their sequence similarity.
- Mutant alleles of the engrailed homeobox gene can result in substantial alterations to the body plan.