Background information
T-cell leukemia homeobox protein 2 (TLX2), also known as homeobox protein Hox-11L1 (HOX11L1), neural crest homeobox protein (NCX) or ENX, is a 284 amino acid member of the TLX homeobox family. The mouse homolog, Tlx2, has been detected in dorsal-root ganglia, cranial and entric-nerve gangla, parasympathetic ganglia and adrenal glands in mouse embryos and in the adrenal glands, intestine and heart of adult mice. The expression pattern of Tlx2, which is restricted to tissues derived from nerual crest cells, suggests that it may play a role in the proliferation or differentiation of the enteric peripheral nervous system. TLX2, which is localized to the nucleus, is highly homologous to mouse Tlx2, and shares several critical domains, including an enhancer element in the promotor that is crucial for tissue-specific expression. Mutations in the gene encoding mouse Tlx2 lead to congenital anomalies closely resembling neuronal intestinal dysplasia in humans. Thus, TLX2 is thought to play a role in this disease, which is a rare condition characterized by hyperplasia of submucosal plexus with giant submucosal ganglia and increased acetylcholinesterase activity in nerve fiber around submucosal blood vessels.
