HFG_HOXA13-I

Gene
HOXA13
Disease
HFG-I
Inheritance
AD
Classification
Limited
Total Score
3.5
Publications Reviewed
2
Publication Span
3.08 years
Last Updated
08/18/2025
Curator(s)
Macayla Weiner, Laurel Hiatt, Elbay Aliyev

Description

This HFG-I HOXA13 curation is based on experimental evidence from PMID 17935235 and primary mouse-model evidence from PMID 15385446. PMID 17935235 reports a father and daughter with hand-foot-genital syndrome carrying a heterozygous +14 alanine expansion in HOXA13 polyalanine tract III and shows, in COS-7 cells, length-dependent cytoplasmic aggregation of HOXA13 polyalanine expansion proteins, altered steady-state abundance after geldanamycin treatment, and sequestration of wild-type HOXA13/HOXD13. PMID 15385446 reports human HOXA13 polyalanine expansions in all three large tracts and a Hoxa13Ala28 knock-in mouse model with a +10 alanine expansion in tract III, showing a Hoxa13 loss-of-function-like phenotype with normal RNA expression/splicing but reduced steady-state HOXA13 protein abundance. Evidence is primarily experimental and supports a loss-of-function mechanism through post-transcriptional reduction/degradation of expanded HOXA13 protein. Note that there are three reported pathogenic polyalanine tracts in HOXA13 and only PMID 17935235 was able to be directly tied to this specific tract.

Genetic evidence

Total: 0

No genetic evidence details available.

Experimental evidence

Total: 3.5

FunctionBiochemical functionPMID:17935235 PMID:153854460.5HOXA13 polyalanine expansion proteins showed misfolding/cytoplasmic aggregation and reduced steady-state protein abundance; mouse Hoxa13Ala28 data showed normal RNA expression/splicing but reduced HOXA13 protein abundance, supporting post-transcriptional protein loss.
FunctionProtein interactionPMID:179352350.5Co-expression assays showed polyalanine-expanded HOXA13 sequestered wild-type HOXA13 and wild-type HOXD13 proteins into cytoplasmic aggregates; this is locus-relevant protein interaction evidence from non-patient cell assays.
FunctionRegulatory impactPMID:17935235 PMID:153854460No evidence of regulatory impact. Western blot and immunohistochemistry data showed reduced steady-state HOXA13 protein abundance for the expanded allele despite normal RNA expression and splicing, indicating post-transcriptional protein reduction rather than altered transcription, epigenetic regulation, or splicing.
Functional AlterationNon-patient cellsPMID:179352350.5COS-7 transfection/immunocytochemistry assays showed wild-type HOXA13 localized to the nucleus, while +10 and +14 HOXA13 polyalanine expansion proteins formed cytoplasmic aggregates, with greater aggregation for longer expansions.
ModelsNon-human model organismPMID:153854462Mouse Hoxa13Ala28 knock-in model with a +10 alanine expansion in polyalanine tract III showed a phenotype indistinguishable from Hoxa13 null mice. Mutant limb buds had normal Hoxa13 RNA expression and splicing but reduced steady-state HOXA13 protein by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, supporting loss of function through in vivo degradation of the expanded protein.
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Note: Maximum score caps apply at evidence type, category, and supercategory levels, so section totals may be lower than the raw sum of row scores.