PROSITE logo
Black ribbon
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Amos Bairoch (1957–2025), the creator of PROSITE. We wish to dedicate our latest paper, published shortly before his death, to him. He will always be a source of inspiration to us.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends, and to all those who had the privilege of working with him. Rest in peace, Amos. Your work will live on long after you are gone.
Amos Bairoch

PROSITE documentation PDOC00032
'Homeobox' antennapedia-type protein signature


View entry in original PROSITE document format
View entry in raw text format (no links)
PURL: https://purl.expasy.org/prosite/documentation/PDOC00032

Description

The homeotic Hox proteins are sequence-specific transcription factors. They are part of a developmental regulatory system that provides cells with specific positional identities on the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis [1]. The hox proteins contain a 'homeobox' domain. In Drosophila and other insects, there are eight different Hox genes that are encoded in two gene complexes, ANT-C and BX-C. In vertebrates there are 38 genes organized in four complexes.

In six of the eight Drosophila Hox genes the homeobox domain is highly similar and a conserved hexapeptide is found five to sixteen amino acids upstream of the homeobox domain. The six Drosophila proteins that belong to this group are antennapedia (Antp), abdominal-A (abd-A), deformed (Dfd), proboscipedia (pb), sex combs reduced (scr) and ultrabithorax (ubx) and are collectively known as the 'antennapedia' subfamily.

In vertebrates the corresponding Hox genes are known [2] as Hox-A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, Hox-B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, Hox-C4, C5, C6, C8, Hox-D1, D3, D4 and D8.

Caenorhabditis elegans lin-39 and mab-5 are also members of the 'antennapedia' subfamily.

As a signature pattern for this subfamily of homeobox proteins, we have used the conserved hexapeptide.

Note:

Arg and Lys are most frequently found in the last position of the hexapeptide; other amino acids are found in only a few cases.

Last update:

June 1994 / Text revised.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Technical section

PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:

ANTENNAPEDIA, PS00032; 'Homeobox' antennapedia-type protein signature  (PATTERN)


References

1AuthorsMcGinnis W. Krumlauf R.
TitleHomeobox genes and axial patterning.
SourceCell 68:283-302(1992).
PubMed ID1346368

2AuthorsScott M.P.
TitleVertebrate homeobox gene nomenclature.
SourceCell 71:551-553(1992).
PubMed ID1358459



PROSITE is copyrighted by the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, see prosite_license.html.