Similar to NUP98-HOX fusions, the transforming potential of NUP98-PMX1 required the NUP98 portion and DNA-binding capability of the PMX1 homeodomain and collaborated with Meis1 to induce more rapid onset myeloproliferative-like myeloid leukemia.
The complete cDNA sequence shows that MEIS1 is likely to be the human homolog of Meis1, a mouse gene that is known to be activated in myeloid leukemia by retroviral insertion.
Recent studies have demonstrated that enforced co-expression of HOXA9 and MEIS1 in murine marrow leads to rapid development of myeloid leukemia, and that these proteins exhibit cooperative DNA binding.