MSX2, also known as HOX-8, is a homeobox containing transcription factor, which is a member of the MSH family of homeobox proteins, and is expressed at sites of epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during embryogenesis. More specifically, MSX2 has been found to be expressed in the epidermis, hair follicles, and fibroblasts of the developing fetal skin, and is detected as a diffuse cytoplasmic signal in fetal epidermis and portions of the hair follicle and dermis. In adult epidermis, however, MSX2 expression is localized to the nucleus. More recently, when in combination with another homeobox gene, MSX1, MSX2 has been shown to play a critical role in the developmental stages of both neural tube and neural crest, suggesting that both the MSX1 and the MSX2 genes play an important role in organogenesis.