title: Colinearity loops out.
abstract: Modulation of chromatin structure has long been proposed to underlie the colinear regulation of Hox genes during animal development. In a recent paper, Chambeyron and Bickmore explore this possibility in retinoic acid-induced ES cells. They show that, while chromatin remodeling confers transcriptional competence to the gene cluster, subsequent sequential extrusion of genes from their chromosome territory may determine their coordinated expression in time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Animal Biology and National Program "Frontiers in Genetics", University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duboule
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deschamps
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D026801:Synteny / Q000235:genetics*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin