title: At least three human homeoboxes on chromosome 12 belong to the same transcription unit.
abstract: Mammalian homeoboxes show a clustered chromosomal organization. In the mouse, at least seven homeoboxes on chromosome 6 and at least six on chromosome 11 identify the murine Hox-1 and Hox-2 loci, respectively. A number of homeoboxes on chromosome 7 define the human HOX-1 locus and homeoboxes on chromosome 17 define the human HOX-2 locus. We studied the genomic organization of three homeobox sequences of the HOX-3 locus on chromosome 12 and analyzed transcripts from this region. Structural characterization and sequencing of several cDNA clones reveal that the three homeobox sequences present in this chromosomal region identify a single transcription unit. Primary transcripts are alternatively processed to give mature messengers with a common 5' noncoding exon encoding different proteins containing one of the three homeodomains.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D014158:Transcription, Genetic