Krüppel

Krüppel is a gap gene which encodes a zinc finger protein with four tandemly repeated zinc finger domains.

Krüppel means, literally, "cripple" in German.

Put into English, it controls the development of a zygote early on in its growth, causing a gap in the otherwise heterogeneous arrangement of cells. It also controls access to several other subsequent genes, imposing order on the developing embryo.

See also Kruppel-like factors which have been recently investigated in the heart but are well characterised for their role in carcinogenesis.