User:Alyxolinde/sandbox

This gene is a member of the homeobox protein family which is responsible for embryonic head and facial construction and in particular the nose. ALX3 is also a transcription factor which binds to DNA to help control gene expression. It also is responsible for controlling the growth and division of cells and stopping the growth of cells, making sure that they are positioned correctly for development. It’s cytogenic location is 1p13.3 and it is approximately 110,000,000 base pairs long. It is often found to be expressed almost everywhere in the body, but much higher levels in skin and endometrium.

Mutations of this gene are commonly associated with cerebral hemisphere lipoma and frontonasal dysplasia, which is the malformation of the nose and middle face area. This often leads to clefts or a misshapen skull. If methylation of this gene’s promoter happens, it can be associated with advanced-stage neuroblastoma tumors.