Hox genes play a fundamental role in the development of the vertebrate central nervous system, heart, axial skeleton, limbs, gut, urogenital tract and external genitalia. At embryonic stages, HoxA2 is expressed in the mesenchyme and epithelial cells of the palate, however its expression is restricted to the tips of the growing palatal shelves. HoxA2 protein is predominantly expressed in the nuclei of cells in the ventral mantle region of the developing embryo. In the developing and adult mouse spinal cord, HoxA2 protein may contribute to dorsal-ventral patterning and/or to the specification of neuronal phenotype.
