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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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MEIS1
Meis homeobox 1
Chromosome 2 · 2p14
NCBI Gene: 4211Ensembl: ENSG00000143995.21HGNC: HGNC:7000UniProt: O00470
145PubMed Papers
21Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Highly Constrained
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
DNA bindingnucleoplasmprotein bindingRNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA bindingrestless legs syndromeinsomniaprostate carcinomaneurodegenerative disease
✦AI Summary

MEIS1 (Meis homeobox 1) is a transcription factor that plays critical roles in hematopoiesis, cardiovascular development, and cancer. As a member of the TALE family of homeodomain proteins, MEIS1 functions by binding DNA in a sequence-specific manner and forming cooperative complexes with other transcription factors, including HOX proteins and PBX cofactors 1. In hematopoiesis, MEIS1 is essential for maintaining leukemic stem cells, with overexpression observed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, particularly in cases with MLL rearrangements or NPM1 mutations 234. The protein maintains leukemic states through sustained HOX gene expression, making it a target for menin inhibitor therapies that disrupt MEIS1-dependent pathways 5. In cardiovascular biology, MEIS1 regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration, with studies showing that Meis1 inhibition can enhance cardiac repair following myocardial infarction 67. Additionally, MEIS1 has been implicated in colorectal cancer, where its downregulation promotes tumorigenesis and oxaliplatin resistance through enhanced DNA repair mechanisms 8. These diverse functions establish MEIS1 as a key regulator of cell fate decisions across multiple organ systems.

Sources cited
1
MEIS1 forms cooperative DNA-binding complexes with other transcription factors including DLX3
PMID: 26550823
2
Menin inhibitors target MEIS1 and HOXA9 pathways in AML with MLL rearrangements or NPM1 mutations
PMID: 35017466
3
NPM1 mutations maintain leukemic state through HOX gene expression including MEIS1
PMID: 30205049
4
MEIS1 overexpression is observed in acute leukemias and associated with chemotherapy resistance
PMID: 35304708
5
MEIS1 modulates cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiovascular regeneration
PMID: 31623926
6
FGF10 promotes cardiac repair through regulation of Meis1 expression levels
PMID: 34755840
7
MEIS1 downregulation promotes colorectal cancer tumorigenesis and oxaliplatin resistance
PMID: 35351858
8
Menin inhibitors target HOXA gene cluster and MEIS1 overexpression in acute leukemia subtypes
PMID: 40528227
Disease Associationsⓘ21
restless legs syndromeOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
insomniaOpen Targets
0.50Moderate
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.50Moderate
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.43Moderate
extrapyramidal and movement diseaseOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
Sleep DisorderOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
periodic limb movement disorderOpen Targets
0.38Weak
circadian rhythmOpen Targets
0.37Weak
open-angle glaucomaOpen Targets
0.37Weak
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.34Weak
metabolic syndromeOpen Targets
0.34Weak
injuryOpen Targets
0.34Weak
movement disorderOpen Targets
0.33Weak
femur fractureOpen Targets
0.32Weak
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.30Weak
uterine fibroidOpen Targets
0.30Weak
benign prostatic hyperplasiaOpen Targets
0.29Weak
conjunctival disorderOpen Targets
0.27Weak
glaucomaOpen Targets
0.26Weak
osteoarthritis, hipOpen Targets
0.26Weak
Restless legs syndrome 7UniProt
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CREB1Protein interaction100%HOXB13Protein interaction96%EZH2Protein interaction96%DLX3Protein interaction96%HOXA7Protein interaction91%HOXA9Protein interaction91%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Lung
53%
Heart
38%
Bone Marrow
15%
Liver
11%
Brain
8%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
MEIS1CREB1HOXB13EZH2DLX3HOXA7HOXA9
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5EGO · 2.54 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.23Highly Constrained
pLIⓘ
1.00Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.11 [0.06–0.23]
RankingsWhere MEIS1 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,143of 20,598
    Most Researched145 · top quartile
  • #623of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.23 · top 5%
Genes detectedMEIS1
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
DNA-dependent formation of transcription factor pairs alters their binding specificity.
PMID: 26550823
Nature · 2015
1.00
2
Effective Menin inhibitor-based combinations against AML with MLL rearrangement or NPM1 mutation (NPM1c).
PMID: 35017466
Blood Cancer J · 2022
0.90
3
Mutant NPM1 Maintains the Leukemic State through HOX Expression.
PMID: 30205049
Cancer Cell · 2018
0.80
4
Downregulation of MEIS1 mediated by ELFN1-AS1/EZH2/DNMT3a axis promotes tumorigenesis and oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer.
PMID: 35351858
Signal Transduct Target Ther · 2022
0.70
5
Homeobox gene Meis1 modulates cardiovascular regeneration.
PMID: 31623926
Semin Cell Dev Biol · 2020
0.60