Here is another article on Hox -TALE interaction published in PLOS genetics last month. I had a minor contribution to this article led by Marisa from James Castelli-Gair lab. Here is the author summary from website.

Hox genes encode transcription factors necessary to achieve the morphological differences between anterior and posterior regions of the body. These genes have been functionally conserved during animal evolution, and similar classes can be recognized in vertebrates and invertebrates. To bind DNA and regulate many of their targets, Hox proteins interact with the MEIS and PBC transcriptional cofactors. However, this is not always the case for the most posteriorly expressed genes belonging to the Abdominal-B class. Here we show a new interaction between the Abd-B protein and these cofactors where, rather than cooperating with Abd-B, the cofactors antagonize its function. Given the conservation of the Hox proteins and their cofactors, this new mode of interaction may be also happening in other species, including vertebrates.

Reference and image Credit:

Citation: Rivas ML, Espinosa-Vázquez JM, Sambrani N, Greig S, Merabet S, et al. (2013) Antagonism Versus Cooperativity with TALE Cofactors at the Base of the Functional Diversification of Hox Protein Function. PLoS Genet 9(2): e1003252. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003252

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Related Posts:

• Top 15 articles on Hox function- Part III
• Hox Gene AbdB controls left right asymmetry in Drosophila – Part II
• Hox genes in Insects – Isolation of Hox genes from 6 different Insect orders
• How a single Hox gene (Ultrabithorax) can specify two different morphologies ?
• Top 15 articles on Hox function- Part I

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