HoxC12 Activators

HoxC12, also known as Homeobox C12, is a protein that is encoded by the HOXC12 gene in humans. This protein belongs to the highly conserved Hox gene family, which plays a crucial role in body patterning during embryonic development.Hox proteins are characterized by a 60-amino acid homeodomain, a DNA-binding domain, enabling these proteins to function as transcription factors. They can turn genes on or off, thereby directing the formation of specific body structures along the anterior-posterior axis (head-tail direction) of organisms.

Specifically, HoxC12 is part of the 'C' cluster of Hox genes. In vertebrates, there are four clusters (A, B, C, and D) arranged on different chromosomes. Each cluster contains several Hox genes that are expressed in a spatially and temporally controlled manner during embryonic development.The exact role of HoxC12 remains to be fully elucidated, but like other Hox genes, it's likely involved in directing the formation of specific body structures during development. The expression of HoxC12, like other Hox genes, follows a principle known as colinearity, where its position within the HOXC cluster corresponds to the timing and location of its expression along the body axis.