mesoderm posterior protein 2 (MESP2 SCDO2)

Function

• transcription factor
• role in somitogenesis
• defines the rostrocaudal patterning of the somite by participating in distinct Notch pathways
• regulates FGF signaling pathway
• specifies rostral half of the somites
• generates rostro-caudal polarity of somites by down-regulating in the presumptive rostral domain DLL1, a Notch ligand
• participates in segment border formation by activating in the anterior presomitic mesoderm LFNG, a negative regulator of DLL1-Notch signaling
• acts as a strong suppressor of Notch activity
• together with MESP1 is involved in the epithelialization of somitic mesoderm & in the development of cardiac mesoderm
• degraded by the proteasome (putative)
• phosphorylated (putative)

Structure

contains 1 basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain

Compartment

nucleus (putative)

Pathology

• defects in MESP2 are the cause of autosomal recessive spondylocostal dysostosis type 2

Polymorphism

• the number of GQ repeats at position 179 is polymorphic

More general terms

• basic helix loop helix (bHLH) family transcription factor

Database

• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/605195
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/608681
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q0VG99.html