Background information
Hexamethylene bis-acetamide inducible 1 (HEXIM1) and Hexamethylene bis-acetamide inducible 2 (HEXIM2) comprise a family of proteins which inhibit positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) through association with 7SK. P-TEFb is composed of a catalytic subunit, Cdk9, and either Cyclin T1 or T2 as a regulatory subunit. This complex regulates eukaryotic gene expression at the level of elongation. The C-terminal domains of HEXIM proteins interact directly with each other. Via these domains, HEXIM1 and HEXIM2 form stable homo- and hetero-oligomers, which may aid in the formation of the 7SK small nuclear ribonucleic acid particle. Despite their similar functions, HEXIM1 and HEXIM2 exhibit distinct expression patterns in various established cell lines and human tissues.
