Hox genes in species across the metazoa encode transcription factors (TFs) containing highly-conserved homeodomains that bind target DNA sequences to regulate batteries of developmental target genes. DNA-bound Hox proteins, together with other TF partners, induce an appropriate transcriptional response by RNA Polymerase II (PolII) and its associated general transcription factors. How the evolut...

The clustered Hox genes play fundamental roles in regulation of axial patterning and elaboration of the basic body plan in animal development. There are common features in the organization and regulatory landscape of Hox clusters associated with their highly conserved functional roles. The presence of transcribed noncoding sequences embedded within the vertebrate Hox clusters is providing insig...

Hox genes encode a family of transcriptional regulators that elicit distinct developmental programmes along the head-to-tail axis of animals. The specific regional functions of individual Hox genes largely reflect their restricted expression patterns, the disruption of which can lead to developmental defects and disease. Here, we examine the spectrum of molecular mechanisms controlling Hox gene...

One of the earliest steps in animal embryogenesis involves establishing the identity of embryonic structures and tissues from head to tail along the anterior-posterior axis. Hox genes encode a family of proteins that have a prominent and broadly conserved role in laying out this developmental roadmap in most animals. For some time, it’s been felt that Hox function was fairly well understood: a ...

The evolutionarily conserved homeotic (Hox) genes are organized in clusters and expressed collinearly to specify body patterning during embryonic development. Chromatin reorganization and decompaction are intimately connected with Hox gene activation. Linker histone H1 plays a key role in facilitating folding of higher order chromatin structure. Previous studies have shown that deletion of thre...

HOX genes have emerged as critical effectors of leukemogenesis, but the mechanisms that regulate their expression in leukemia are not well understood. Recent data suggest that the caudal homeobox transcription factors CDX1, CDX2, and CDX4, developmental regulators of HOX gene expression, may contribute to HOX gene dysregulation in leukemia. We report here that CDX4 is expressed normally in earl...

The murine homeobox-containing gene Hox-3.2 is the most 5' member of the Hox-3 complex on chromosome 15 isolated to date. Conceptual translation of the longest ORF gives a protein of 260 amino acids lacking the conserved hexapeptide found in most homeobox genes. Northern analysis detects three transcripts of 1.5, 1.9 and 3.2 kb in day 9 to 15 p.c. embryos. As early as day 8.5 p.c., transcripts ...

It is now clear that the homeobox motif is well conserved across metazoan phyla. It has been established experimentally that a subset of genes containing this motif plays key roles in the orchestration of gene expression during development. Auto- and cross-regulatory functional interactions join homeobox genes into genetic networks. We have developed a specialized database HOX-Pro in order to a...

Hox genes are a group of genes that specify structures along the anteroposterior axis in bilaterians. Although in many cases they do so by modifying a homologous structure with a different (or no) Hox input, there are also examples of Hox genes constructing new organs with no homology in other regions of the body. Hox genes determine structures though the regulation of targets implementing cell...

There are many genes involved in vitamin D dependent differentiation of acute myeloid leukaemia cell line HL-60 cells. Involvement of HOX genes in leukaemia and differentiation is just beginning to be appreciated. In order to understand the relationship with 1,25(OH)2D3 dependent differentiation of myeloid leukaemia, we studied the expression of HOX A9 gene. HL-60 cells were exposed to 1,25(OH)...