title: Homeobox genes in embryogenesis and pathogenesis.
abstract: The homeobox, a 60-amino acid-encoding DNA sequence, originally discovered in the genome of the fruit fly Drosophila, was subsequently identified throughout the three kingdoms of multicellular organisms. Homeobox-containing genes encode DNA-binding proteins that regulate gene expression and control various aspects of morphogenesis and cell differentiation. In particular, the Hox family of clustered homeobox genes plays a fundamental role in the morphogenesis of the vertebrate embryo, providing cells with regional information along the main body axis. The nonclustered or divergent homeobox genes include a large number of genes scattered throughout the genome that, nevertheless, can be organized in distinct families based on their homologies and functional similarities. This review will provide the reader with a brief overview on some recent studies aimed at understanding the functional role of homeobox genes in normal mammalian development as well as their involvement in congenital malformations and oncogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP/Collège de France, Illkirch, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Rijli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chambon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics