Description
Homeobox protein Nkx-2.5, also known as NKX2E or CSX, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NKX2-5 gene. It is mapped to 5q35.1. Homeobox-containing genes play critical roles in regulating tissue-specific gene expression essential for tissue differentiation, as well as determining the temporal and spatial patterns of development. Nkx2-5 and Tbx5 directly bound to the promoter of the gene encoding cardiac-specific natriuretic peptide precursor type A (NPPA) in tandem, and both transcription factors showed synergistic activation. Nkx2-5 is essential in cardiac development, and mutations in the protein cause various congenital heart malformations