Kamkar Fatemeh, Xaymardan Munira, Asli Naisana S
1 Department of Cell and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa , Ontario, Canada .
2 Discipline of Life Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney , Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Australia .
Stem Cells Dev. 2016 Sep 1;25(17):1282-9. doi: 10.1089/scd.2015.0352.
Hox genes are fundamental components of embryonic patterning and morphogenesis with expression persisting into adulthood. They are also implicated in the development of diseases, particularly neoplastic transformations. The tight spatio-temporal regulation of Hox genes in concordance with embryonic patterning is an outstanding feature of these genes. In this review we have systematically analyzed Hox functions within the stem/progenitor cell compartments and asked whether their temporo-spatial topography is retained within the stem cell domain throughout development and adulthood. In brief, evidence support involvement of Hox genes at several levels along the stem cell hierarchy, including positional identity, stem cell self-renewal, and differentiation. There is also strong evidence to suggest a role for Hox genes during neoplasia. Although fundamental questions are yet to be addressed through more targeted and high- throughput approaches, existing evidence suggests a central role for Hox genes within a continuum along the developmental axes persisting into adult homeostasis and disease.
Hox基因是胚胎模式形成和形态发生的基本组成部分，其表达持续至成年期。它们也与疾病的发展有关，特别是肿瘤转化。Hox基因与胚胎模式形成相一致的紧密时空调节是这些基因的一个突出特征。在这篇综述中，我们系统地分析了Hox基因在干细胞/祖细胞区室中的功能，并探讨了它们的时空拓扑结构在整个发育和成年期是否在干细胞领域中得以保留。简而言之，有证据支持Hox基因在干细胞层级的几个水平上发挥作用，包括位置身份、干细胞自我更新和分化。也有强有力的证据表明Hox基因在肿瘤形成过程中发挥作用。尽管仍需通过更有针对性的高通量方法来解决一些基本问题，但现有证据表明，Hox基因在持续到成年内稳态和疾病的发育轴连续体中发挥核心作用。
