The homeobox genes encode a highly conserved family of transcription factors that play an important role in morphogenesis in all multicellular organisms.

Mammals possess four similar homeobox gene clusters, HOXA, HOXB, HOXC and HOXD, located on different chromosomes, consisting of 9 to 11 genes arranged in tandem.

This gene is one of several homeobox HOXB genes located in a cluster on chromosome 17.

[8][9] This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.

This article on a gene on human chromosome 17 is a stub.