title: A human forkhead/winged-helix transcription factor expressed in developing pulmonary and renal epithelium.
abstract: Members of the forkhead/winged-helix transcription factor family play crucial roles during vertebrate development. A human hepatocyte nuclear factor/forkhead homolog (HFH)-4 cDNA encoding a 421-amino acid protein was isolated from a human fetal lung cDNA library. By Southern blot analysis of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid genomic DNA, the human HFH-4 gene localizes to chromosome 17q23-qter. This is the locus of another forkhead/winged-helix gene, the interleukin enhancer binding factor gene. RNA blot analysis revealed a 2.5-kilobase human HFH-4 transcript in fetal lung, kidney, and brain as well as in adult reproductive tissues, lung, and brain. By in situ hybridization, HFH-4 expression is associated with differentiation of the proximal pulmonary epithelium, starting during the pseudoglandular stage of human lung development. During human renal morphogenesis, HFH-4 is expressed in the developing epithelial cells of the ureteric duct, glomerulus, and epithelial vesicles. The unique pattern of HFH-4 expression during human fetal development suggests a role for this forkhead/winged-helix factor during pulmonary and renal epithelial development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Brody
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liapis
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hackett
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D015723:Gene Library; D005865:Gestational Age; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology*; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; C403128:MLX protein, human; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014157:Transcription Factors