Enables double-stranded telomeric DNA binding activity; identical protein binding activity; and sequence-specific double-stranded DNA binding activity. Involved in negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II; telomere maintenance via telomerase; and telomere-telomerase complex assembly. Located in several cellular components, including centrosome; chromosome, telomeric region; and nuclear body. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
Forensic Context
A study in mice demonstrated that HMBOX1 mRNA was upregulated in cardiac mesenchymal stem cells following HDAC11 overexpression, where it was part of an activated chromosome organization pathway [Zhang et al. DOI:10.3390/biom15050662]. In a separate human cell study, a tRNA-derived fragment, tRF-03357, was noted in the literature to promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating HMBOX1 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer [Deng et al. DOI:10.1177/15593258221128744].