Silencing of the gene for homeobox protein HOXB13 by siRNA confers resistance to methylmercury on HEK293 cells

Abstract

Methylmercury is an environmental pollutant that causes severe central nervous system disorders. We searched for transcription factors involved in the development of methylmercury toxicity and found that the decreased expression of a homeobox protein, HOXB13, in HEK293 cells conferred strong resistance to methylmercury.