title: HMG box containing transcription factors in lymphocyte differentiation.
abstract: The identification of the mammalian sex-determining gene Sry has led to the discovery of a large family of related ('HMG box') transcription factors that control developmental events in yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila and vertebrates. In lymphocyte differentiation, several HMG box proteins play a decisive role. Sox-4 is important for very early B-cell differentiation, while TCF-1/LEF-1 play a crucial role in early thymocyte development. TCF/LEF proteins have recently been found to constitute a downstream component of the Wingless/Wnt signal transduction pathway. In flies, this pathway controls segment polarity; in Xenopus it controls the definition of the body axis. Deregulation of the pathway occurs in several human tumors. These insights in the molecular events that are involved in TCF/LEF function in these organisms may eventually lead to the understanding of the function of these HMG box proteins in lymphoid development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Schilham
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Clevers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D055751:SOXC Transcription Factors; D051822:T Cell Transcription Factor 1; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D051155:Wnt1 Protein
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C083431:SOX4 protein, human; D055751:SOXC Transcription Factors; D051822:T Cell Transcription Factor 1; C497576:TCF7 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila