Hrycaj Steven M, Wellik Deneen M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-2200, USA.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-2200, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-2200, USA.
F1000Res. 2016 May 10;5. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.7663.1. eCollection 2016.
Hox proteins are a deeply conserved group of transcription factors originally defined for their critical roles in governing segmental identity along the antero-posterior (AP) axis in Drosophila. Over the last 30 years, numerous data generated in evolutionarily diverse taxa have clearly shown that changes in the expression patterns of these genes are closely associated with the regionalization of the AP axis, suggesting that Hox genes have played a critical role in the evolution of novel body plans within Bilateria. Despite this deep functional conservation and the importance of these genes in AP patterning, key questions remain regarding many aspects of Hox biology. In this commentary, we highlight recent reports that have provided novel insight into the origins of the mammalian Hox cluster, the role of Hox genes in the generation of a limbless body plan, and a novel putative mechanism in which Hox genes may encode specificity along the AP axis. Although the data discussed here offer a fresh perspective, it is clear that there is still much to learn about Hox biology and the roles it has played in the evolution of the Bilaterian body plan.
Hox蛋白是一类高度保守的转录因子，最初因其在果蝇中沿前后（AP）轴控制体节特征方面的关键作用而被定义。在过去30年里，在进化上不同的分类群中产生的大量数据清楚地表明，这些基因表达模式的变化与AP轴的区域化密切相关，这表明Hox基因在两侧对称动物新体型的进化中发挥了关键作用。尽管这些基因具有高度的功能保守性且在AP模式形成中很重要，但关于Hox生物学的许多方面仍存在关键问题。在这篇评论中，我们重点介绍了最近的一些报告，这些报告为哺乳动物Hox簇的起源、Hox基因在无肢体体型形成中的作用以及Hox基因可能沿AP轴编码特异性的一种新的推测机制提供了新的见解。尽管这里讨论的数据提供了一个新的视角，但很明显，关于Hox生物学及其在两侧对称动物体型进化中所起的作用仍有很多需要了解的地方。
