title: Of Mice and Snakes: A Tail of Oct4.
abstract: The vertebrate axial skeleton comprises regions of specialized vertebrae, which vary in length between lineages. Aires et al. (2016) uncover a key role for Oct4 in determining trunk length in mice. Additionally, a heterochronic shift in Oct4 expression may underlie the extreme elongation of the trunk in snakes.
authors: Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors: Natalia A
authors: NA
authors: Shylo
authors: Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: scott.weatherbee@yale.edu.
authors: Scott D
authors: SD
authors: Weatherbee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012911:Snakes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D060726:Torso / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
chemical_list: D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors