MSX1
Encyclopedia
Msh homeobox 1, also known as MSX1, 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 MSX1 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...

. MSX1 transcripts are not only found in thyrotrope-derived TSH cells, but also in the TtT97 thyrotropic tumor, which is a well differentiated hyperplastic tissue that produces both TSHß- and a-subunits and is responsive to thyroid hormone. MSX1 is also expressed in highly differentiated pituitary cells which until recently was thought to be expressed exclusively during embryogenesis. There is a highly conserved structural organization of the members of the MSX family of genes and their abundant expression at sites of inductive cell–cell interactions in the embryo suggest that they have a pivotal role during early development.

Function

This gene encodes a member of the muscle segment homeobox
Homeobox
A homeobox is a DNA sequence found within genes that are involved in the regulation of patterns of anatomical development in animals, fungi and plants.- Discovery :...

 gene family. The encoded protein functions as a transcriptional repressor during embryogenesis
Embryogenesis
Embryogenesis is the process by which the embryo is formed and develops, until it develops into a fetus.Embryogenesis starts with the fertilization of the ovum by sperm. The fertilized ovum is referred to as a zygote...

 through interactions with components of the core transcription complex and other homeoproteins. It may also have roles in limb-pattern formation, craniofacial
Craniofacial
Craniofacial may be used to describe certain congenital malformations, injuries, surgeons who subspecialize in this area, multi-disciplinary medical-surgical teams that treat and do research on disorders affecting this region, and organizations with interest in...

 development, in particular, odontogenesis, and tumor growth inhibition. Mutations in this gene, which was once known as homeobox 7, have been associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Witkop syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome , also known as chromosome deletion 4p syndrome, Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome or Pitt syndrome, was first described in 1961 by Americans Herbert L...

, and autosomal dominant hypodontia
Hypodontia
In dentistry, hypodontia is the condition at which the patient has missing teeth as a result of their failure to develop. Hypodontia describes a situation where the patient is missing up to 6 teeth, excluding the 3rd molars. Missing third molars occur in 9-30% of population...

. Haploinsufficiency of MSX1 protein affects the development of all teeth, preferentially third molars and second premolars. The effect of haploinsufficiency of PAX9 on the development of incisors and premolars is probably caused by a deficiency of MSX1 protein.


Phenotypes caused by deficiency of MSX1 protein might depend on the localization of mutations and their effect on the protein structure and function. Two substitution mutations, Arg196Pro and Met61Lys cause only familial non-syndromic tooth agenesis. Frameshift mutations, Ser202Stop mutation, resulting in a protein that lacks the C-terminal end of the homeodomain, impairs not only teeth but also nail formation, while Ser105Stop mutation, causing complete absence of the MSX1 homeodomain, is responsible for the most severe phenotype, which includes orofacial clefts with accompanied tooth agenesis.


MSX1 is one of the strongest candidate genes for specific forms of tooth agenesis, mutations in this gene was detected only in some affected individuals. Genes expressed in the early dental epithelium in mice such as Bmp4, Bmp7, Dlx2, Dlx5, Fgf1, Fgf2, Fgf4, Fgf8, Lef1, Gli2, and Gli3 are also potential candidates. Based on existing evidence, it seems possible that both hypodontia and oligodontia are heterogeneous traits, caused by several independent defective genes, which act along or in combination with other genes and lead to specific phenotypes.


MSX1 is found to have a linkage with Witkop syndrome, also known as “tooth and nail syndrome” or “nail dysgenesis and hypodontia” since mutations in MSX1 were shown to be associated with tooth agenesis. There is a linkage found between TNS and markers surrounding the MSX1 locus and it showed that a nonsense mutation (S202X) in MSX1 cosegregated with the TNS phenotype in a three-generation family.

Interactions

MSX1 has been shown to interact
Protein-protein interaction
Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with DLX5
DLX5
Homeobox protein DLX-5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DLX5 gene.- Function :This gene encodes a member of a homeobox transcription factor gene family similar to the Drosophila distal-less gene. The encoded protein may play a role in bone development and fracture healing...

, CREB binding protein
CREB binding protein
CREB-binding protein, also known as CREBBP or CBP, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CREBBP gene.The CREB protein carries out its function by activating transcription, where interaction with transcription factors is managed by one or more of p300 domains: the nuclear receptor...

, Sp1 transcription factor, DLX2
DLX2
Homeobox protein DLX-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DLX2 gene.-Interactions:DLX2 has been shown to interact with DLX5, MSX1 and Msh homeobox 2.-Further reading:...

, TATA binding protein
TATA Binding Protein
The TATA-binding protein is a general transcription factor that binds specifically to a DNA sequence called the TATA box. This DNA sequence is found about 35 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site in some eukaryotic gene promoters...

 and Msh homeobox 2
Msh homeobox 2
Homeobox protein MSX-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MSX2 gene.-Interactions:Msh homeobox 2 has been shown to interact with DLX5, DLX2 and MSX1.-Further reading:- External links :*...

.


LHX2, a LIMtype homeoprotein, is a protein partner for MSX1 in vitro and in cellular extracts. The interaction between MSX1 and LHX2 is mediated through the homeodomain-containing regions of both proteins. MSX1 and LHX2 form a protein complex in the absence of DNA, and that DNA binding by either protein alone can occur at the expense of protein complex formation.

Further reading

External links

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