title: Expression of homologous homeo-box-containing genes in differentiated human teratocarcinoma cells and mouse embryos.
abstract: Human chromosome 17 contains a cluster of at least three distinct homeo box regions, Hu1, Hu2, and Hu5, within a 20 kb stretch of DNA. A mouse homeo box region, Mu1, which maps to chromosome 11, was isolated and found to contain extensive nucleotide homology with a 4 kb region encompassing the Hu1 homeo box. The conservation of these chromosomal regions between man and mouse was confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis: approximately 380 bp of DNA are more than 90% homologous and the 61 amino acids of the homeo box domain are perfectly conserved. We found that a human teratocarcinoma cell line expresses high levels of Hu1 homeo-box-containing mRNA only after differentiation of the cells following treatment with retinoic acid. In contrast, mouse teratocarcinoma cells did not express Mu1 homeo-box-containing mRNA at any stage of differentiation, whereas the expression of such transcripts was detected in mouse embryos from 10 to 17 days of gestation.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002902:Chromosomes, Human, 16-18; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013724:Teratoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014212:Tretinoin