Homeobox protein Hox-D13 is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the HOXD13 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

This gene belongs to the homeobox family of genes. The homeobox genes encode a highly conserved family of transcription factors that play an important role in morphogenesis

Morphogenesis

Morphogenesis , is the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape...

 in all multicellular organisms. Mammals possess four similar homeobox gene clusters, HOXA, HOXB, HOXC and HOXD, located on different chromosomes, consisting of 9 to 11 genes arranged in tandem. This gene is one of several homeobox HOXD genes located in a cluster on chromosome 2. Deletions that remove the entire HOXD gene cluster or the 5' end of this cluster have been associated with severe limb and genital abnormalities. Mutations in this particular gene cause synpolydactyly

Synpolydactyly

Synpolydactyly is a joint presentation of syndactyly and polydactyly.Types include:-References:...

 and Brachydactyly

Brachydactyly

Brachydactyly , is a medical term which literally means "shortness of the fingers and toes" . The shortness is relative to the length of other long bones and other parts of the body. Brachydactyly is an inherited, usually dominant trait...

. The product of the mouse Hoxd13 gene plays a role in axial skeleton development and forelimb morphogenesis.

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