title: Homeotic transformations of the axial skeleton that accompany a targeted deletion of E2f6.
abstract: E2F transcription factors play an important role in regulating mammalian cell proliferation. E2F6, the most recently identified E2F family member, is a transcriptional repressor. In an effort to ascertain the in vivo biological function of E2F6, we have generated an E2f6 mutant mouse strain. Mice lacking E2F6 are viable and healthy. Surprisingly, E2f6-/- embryonic fibroblasts proliferate normally. However, E2f6-/- animals display overt homeotic transformations of the axial skeleton that are strikingly similar to the skeletal transformations observed in polycomb mutant mice. This observation is compatible with the recent finding that endogenous E2F6 and one or more mammalian polycomb proteins are components of the same multiprotein complex. The accumulated evidence suggests that, during development, E2F6 participates in the recruitment of polycomb proteins to specific target promoters.
authors.affiliation: Institut for Molecular Biology and Tumor Research (IMT), Philipps-University Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Storre
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Elsässer
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ullmann
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Livingston
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaubatz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology; D050701:E2F6 Transcription Factor; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D018390:Gene Targeting; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012863:Skeleton; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050701:E2F6 Transcription Factor; C111236:E2f6 protein, mouse; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors