Teashirt Zinc Finger Homeobox Protein 1 (TSHZ1)

TSHZ1 encodes a colon cancer antigen that was defined by serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries. TSHZ1 is a member of the teashirt C2H2-type zinc-finger protein family and may be involved in transcriptional regulation of developmental processes. Tshz1 is detected from E9.5 in the somites, the spinal cord, the limb buds and the branchial arches. Tshz1 inactivation leads to neonatal lethality and causes multiple developmental defects. In the craniofacial region, loss of Tshz1 function leads to specific malformations of middle ear components, including the malleus and the tympanic ring. Tshz1 mice exhibited Hox-like vertebral malformations and homeotic transformations in the cervical and thoracic regions, suggesting that Tshz1 and Hox genes are involved in common pathways to control skeletal morphogenesis.