FLASH, a component of the FAS-CAPSASE8 apoptotic pathway, is directly regulated by Hoxb4 in the notochord.
The Hox genes are a family of homeodomain-containing transcription factors that confer positional identity during development. Although their regulation and function have been extensively studied, very little is known of their downstream target genes. Here we show that Hoxb4 directly induces the expression of FLASH in the notochord of embryos after neurulation. FLASH is a component of the FAS-CAPSASE8 apoptotic pathway, and blocking its activity, or that of Hoxb4, prevents apoptosis in the notochord.
Morgan
Richard
R
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK. rmorgan@sghms.ac.uk
Nalliah
Alison
A
Morsi El-Kadi
Ali S
AS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016375:Antisense Elements (Genetics); D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009672:Notochord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D016375:Antisense Elements (Genetics); D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors