The homeobox DNA-binding domain is a 60 amino acid motif that is conserved among many species and functions to bind DNA via a helix-turn-helix structure, thereby playing a role in transcriptional regulation and in the control of gene expression. MIXL1 (Mix1 homeobox-like 1), also known as MIXL, is a 232 amino acid protein that localizes to the nucleus and contains one homeobox DNA-binding domain. Expressed in lymph tissues, MIXL1 functions as a transcription factor that plays an essential role in axial mesendoderm morphogenesis and endoderm formation and is also required for cellular differentiation during blood development. Additionally, MIXL1 is involved in maturation of heart and gut tissue during embryogenesis and may also act as a negative regulator of brachyury expression. Overexpression of MIXL1 is associated with non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas, suggesting a role in carcinogenesis.