Cloning and characterization of four murine homeobox genes

Four novel murine homeobox genes, Uncx-4.1, OG-2, OG-9, and OG-12, were cloned and partially sequenced, The amino acid sequence of the mouse Uncx-4.1 homeodomain is closely related to the sequence of the unc-4 homeodomain of Caenorhabditis elegans, However, the OG-2, OG-9, and OG-12 homeodomains are relatively diverged and are not closely related to any previously described homeodomain, Northern blot analyses revealed multiple bands of Uncx-4.1, OG-2, OG-9, and OG-12 poly(A)(+) RNA in RNA from mouse embryos and adults that change during development and showed that each gene is expressed in a tissue-specific manner, OG-12 cDNAs were cloned that correspond to two alternatively spliced species of OG-12 mRNA, Three major bands of Uncx-4.1 poly(A)(+) RNA were found only in RNA from adult mouse brain, but an additional band was observed in RNA from all of the other tissues tested, Major bands of OG-9 and OG-2 poly(A)(+) RNA were found only in RNA from striated muscle; however, trace bands were detected in RNA from other tissues.