Cillo C, Cantile M, Faiella A, Boncinelli E
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Medical School, Naples, Italy.
J Cell Physiol. 2001 Aug;188(2):161-9. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1115.
Homeobox genes are transcription factors primarily involved in embryonic development. Several homeobox gene families have so far been identified: Hox, EMX, PAX, MSX as well as many isolated divergent homeobox genes. Among these, Hox genes are most intriguing for having a regulatory network structure organization. Recent indications suggest the involvement of homeobox genes in (i) crucial adult eukariotic cell functions and (ii) human diseases, spanning from diabetes to cancer. In this review we will discuss the mechanisms through which homeobox genes act, and will propose a model for the function of the Hox gene network as decoding system for achieving specific genetic programs. New technologies for whole-genome RNA expression will be crucial to evaluate the clinical relevance of homeobox genes in structural and metabolic diseases.
同源框基因是主要参与胚胎发育的转录因子。迄今为止，已鉴定出几个同源框基因家族：Hox、EMX、PAX、MSX以及许多孤立的、不同的同源框基因。其中，Hox基因因其具有调控网络结构组织而最具吸引力。最近的迹象表明，同源框基因参与（i）关键的成年真核细胞功能和（ii）人类疾病，范围从糖尿病到癌症。在本综述中，我们将讨论同源框基因发挥作用的机制，并将提出一个Hox基因网络功能模型，作为实现特定遗传程序的解码系统。全基因组RNA表达的新技术对于评估同源框基因在结构和代谢疾病中的临床相关性至关重要。
