Homeosis and polyposis: a tale from the mouse.
Homeobox genes play essential roles in specifying the fates of different cell types during embryogenesis. In Drosophila, the homeotic gene caudal is important for the generation of posterior structures. In the mouse, the caudal homologue Cdx2 has been implicated in directing early processes in intestinal morphogenesis and in the maintenance of the differentiated phenotype. A recent study showed that Cdx2 null mutation was embryonically lethal, whereas Cdx2+/- mice developed multiple intestinal polyps in the proximal colon in addition to developmental defects. There are striking phenotypic similarities and differences between Cdx2+/- and other mice predisposed to intestinal neoplasia. The possible role of Cdx2 in human colorectal tumorigenesis is discussed.
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
da Costa
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Thiagalingam
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D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000196:embryology; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics
D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C084564:cad protein, Drosophila