Tinman (gene) (original) (raw)

tinman, or tin is an Nk2-homeobox containing transcription factor first isolated in Drosophila flies. The human homolog is the Nkx2-5 gene. tinman is expressed in the precardiac mesoderm and is responsible for the differentiation, proliferation, and specification of cardiac progenitor cells. This gene is named after the character Tin Woodman who lacks a heart, as flies with nonfunctional tinman genes have cardiac deformities.