CLONING AND CHROMOSOME ASSIGNMENT OF THE HUMAN CDX2 GENE

The caudal-type homeobox gene Cdx2 encodes a transcription factor whic h is expressed in the intestine and is thought to play an important ro le in the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial c ells. Mice heterozygous for null mutations in the caudal-type homeobox gene Cdx2 show multiple adenomatous polyps in the proximal colon in a ddition to skeletal problems associated with abnormal segmentation. In human colorectal cancer the expression of bath CDX2 and carbonic anhy drase 1, a gene regulated by CDX2, is reduced or absent. It is possibl e that mutation of CDX2 is a primary event in the origin of some color ectal cancers. We have cloned human CDX2 cDNA and report here the nucl eotide and protein sequences and assignment of the human gene to chrom osome 13q12-13.