MESP2
Encyclopedia
Mesoderm posterior protein 2 (MESP2), also known as class C basic helix-loop-helix protein 6 (bHLHc6), is a protein
that in humans is encoded by the MESP2 gene
.
family of transcription factor
s and plays a key role in defining the rostrocaudal patterning of somite
s via interactions with multiple Notch signaling pathways. This gene is expressed in the anterior presomitic mesoderm
and is downregulated immediately after the formation of segmented somites. This gene also plays a role in the formation of epithelial somitic mesoderm and cardiac mesoderm.
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 MESP2 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...
.
Function
This gene encodes a member of the bHLHBasic-helix-loop-helix
A basic helix-loop-helix is a protein structural motif that characterizes a family of transcription factors.- Structure :The motif is characterized by two α-helices connected by a loop. In general, transcription factors including this domain are dimeric, each with one helix containing basic amino...
family of transcription factor
Transcription factor
In molecular biology and genetics, a transcription factor is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow of genetic information from DNA to mRNA...
s and plays a key role in defining the rostrocaudal patterning of somite
Somite
A somite is a division of the body of an animal. In vertebrates this is mainly discernible in the embryo stage; in arthropods it is a characteristic of a hypothetical ancestor.- In vertebrates :...
s via interactions with multiple Notch signaling pathways. This gene is expressed in the anterior presomitic mesoderm
Mesoderm
In all bilaterian animals, the mesoderm is one of the three primary germ cell layers in the very early embryo. The other two layers are the ectoderm and endoderm , with the mesoderm as the middle layer between them.The mesoderm forms mesenchyme , mesothelium, non-epithelial blood corpuscles and...
and is downregulated immediately after the formation of segmented somites. This gene also plays a role in the formation of epithelial somitic mesoderm and cardiac mesoderm.