title: Regulation of organogenesis and stem cell properties by T-box transcription factors.
abstract: T-box transcription factors containing the common DNA-binding domain T-box contribute to the organization of multiple tissues in vertebrates and invertebrates. In mammals, 17 T-box genes are divided into five subfamilies depending on their amino acid homology. The proper distribution and expression of individual T-box transcription factors in different tissues enable regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of tissue-specific stem cells and progenitor cells in a suitable time schedule for tissue organization. Consequently, uncontrollable expressions of T-box genes induce abnormal tissue organization, and eventually cause various diseases with malformation and malfunction of tissues and organs. Furthermore, some T-box transcription factors are essential for maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency, improving the quality of induced pluripotent stem cells, and inducing cell-lineage conversion of differentiated cells. These lines of evidence indicate fundamental roles of T-box transcription factors in tissue organization and stem cell properties, and suggest that these transcription factors will be useful for developing therapeutic approaches in regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Division of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D038081:Organogenesis; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; C106884:TBX3 protein, human; C491573:Tbx1 protein, mouse