Meis homeobox 3 (MEIS3)

Meis homeobox 3 (MEIS3) encodes a nuclear homeobox protein that acts as a sequence-specific transcriptional regulator, controlling the expression of genes critical for embryonic development, tissue differentiation, and cellular proliferation. MEIS3 is highly conserved and has functional orthologs across species; in mouse models, it modulates the expression of PDPK1, influencing pancreatic beta-cell survival. During development, MEIS3 is crucial for the proper migration and proliferation of neural crest cells destined for the enteric nervous system, and its loss leads to profound developmental defects, including colonic aganglionosis. MEIS3 also interacts with PBX1 and other transcription factors as part of protein complexes that precisely regulate gene expression. While not a canonical drug target, aberrations in MEIS3-regulated transcription could influence disease processes, especially developmental disorders and potentially cancer biology, although direct targeting by therapeutics is not established

Other names

Homeobox protein Meis3MRG2DKFZp547H236Meis1-related protein 2Meis1 homolog 3MEIS3MEIS3_HUMAN (UniProt)