Homeobox protein CDX-4

Homeobox protein CDX-4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CDX4 gene. This gene is a member of the caudal-related homeobox transcription factor family that also includes CDX1 and CDX2.^[5]

CDX4
Identifiers
Aliases	CDX4, caudal type homeobox 4
External IDs	OMIM: 300025; MGI: 88362; HomoloGene: 3806; GeneCards: CDX4; OMA:CDX4 - orthologs
Gene location (Human) Chr. X chromosome (human)[1] Band Xq13.2 Start 73,447,053 bp[1] End 73,455,171 bp[1]
Gene location (Mouse) Chr. X chromosome (mouse)[2] Band X D|X 46.06 cM Start 102,365,004 bp[2] End 102,374,198 bp[2]
RNA expression pattern Bgee Human Mouse (ortholog) Top expressed in skin of abdomen gonad embryo skin of limb skin of leg nervous system tibial nerve Top expressed in tail of embryo embryo urethra male urethra primitive streak embryo blastocyst allantois right kidney proximal tubule More reference expression data BioGPS n/a
Gene ontology Molecular function RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding DNA binding sequence-specific DNA binding DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific protein binding DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding DNA-binding transcription factor activity Cellular component nucleus Biological process animal organ morphogenesis multicellular organism development labyrinthine layer development cell differentiation blood vessel development anterior/posterior axis specification regulation of transcription, DNA-templated negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II transcription, DNA-templated positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II anterior/posterior pattern specification placenta development transcription by RNA polymerase II regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs Species Human Mouse Entrez 1046 12592 Ensembl ENSG00000131264 ENSMUSG00000031326 UniProt O14627 Q07424 RefSeq (mRNA) NM_005193 NM_007674 RefSeq (protein) NP_005184 NP_031700 Location (UCSC) Chr X: 73.45 – 73.46 Mb Chr X: 102.37 – 102.37 Mb PubMed search [3] [4]
Wikidata
View/Edit Human View/Edit Mouse

Function

The transcription factor encoded by the CDX4 gene participates in the formation of extra-embryonic tissues, anterior-posterior patterning and blood formation during embryogenesis. It does so through the regulation of Hox gene expression. ^{[6] [7][8]}

Before placentation takes place, CDX4 plays a role in its development. CDX4 mutants are born healthy and are fertile, however its importance is revealed in compound CDX mutants. Compound mutants carrying one CDX2 null allele and homozygous null for CDX4 fail to generate posterior tissue caudal to the hindlimbs and most of these embryos die around embryonic day 10.5 from lack of placental development. Around 10% of this phenotype may progress to full term, but then die shortly after birth. Upon inspection the morphogenesis of ano-rectal and urethral tissues was observed. ^{[9] [10]}

The most well described function of CDX genes are their role in caudal body formation. Transcription factors of the CDX gene family, in part control Hox gene expression by responding to signaling molecules Retinoic Acid, Wnt, and FGF. The redundant contribution of CDX4 in axial elongation is shown in that neither CDX4 null or CDX1/CDX4 compound mutants appear with impaired axial elongation. However, CDX4 does have a role in determining pancreatic B-cell number, specifying anterior-posterior location of the foregut organs including the pancreas and liver. Thus, an abnormal state is shown in embryos deficient in CDX4 by posteriorly shifted pancreas, liver and small intestines. ^{[11] [12]}

In blood formation, CDX4 regulation of Hox genes is necessary for the specification of hematopoietic cell fate during embryogenesis. This is demonstrated by the fact that blood deficiencies in CDX4 mutants can be rescued by the over expression of certain Hox genes. ^[13]

Knockout models have been generated in mice as described in CDX4’s role in caudal body formation.

References

1. GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000131264 – Ensembl, May 2017
2. GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000031326 – Ensembl, May 2017
3. "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
4. "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
5. "Entrez Gene: CDX1 caudal type homeobox transcription factor 4".
6. van Nes J, de Graaff W, Lebrin F, Gerhard M, Beck F, Deschamps J (February 2006). "The Cdx4 mutation affects axial development and reveals an essential role of Cdx genes in the ontogenesis of the placental labyrinth in mice". Development. 133 (3): 419–28. doi:10.1242/dev.02216. PMID 16396910.
7. van de Ven C, Bialecka M, Neijts R, Young T, Rowland JE, Stringer EJ, et al. (August 2011). "Concerted involvement of Cdx/Hox genes and Wnt signaling in morphogenesis of the caudal neural tube and cloacal derivatives from the posterior growth zone". Development. 138 (16): 3451–62. doi:10.1242/dev.066118. hdl:10400.7/644. PMID 21752936.
8. Davidson AJ, Ernst P, Wang Y, Dekens MP, Kingsley PD, Palis J, et al. (September 2003). "cdx4 mutants fail to specify blood progenitors and can be rescued by multiple hox genes". Nature. 425 (6955): 300–6. Bibcode:2003Natur.425..300D. doi:10.1038/nature01973. PMID 13679919. S2CID 4315496.
9. van Nes J, de Graaff W, Lebrin F, Gerhard M, Beck F, Deschamps J (February 2006). "The Cdx4 mutation affects axial development and reveals an essential role of Cdx genes in the ontogenesis of the placental labyrinth in mice". Development. 133 (3): 419–28. doi:10.1242/dev.02216. PMID 16396910.
10. van de Ven C, Bialecka M, Neijts R, Young T, Rowland JE, Stringer EJ, et al. (August 2011). "Concerted involvement of Cdx/Hox genes and Wnt signaling in morphogenesis of the caudal neural tube and cloacal derivatives from the posterior growth zone". Development. 138 (16): 3451–62. doi:10.1242/dev.066118. hdl:10400.7/644. PMID 21752936.
11. van de Ven C, Bialecka M, Neijts R, Young T, Rowland JE, Stringer EJ, et al. (August 2011). "Concerted involvement of Cdx/Hox genes and Wnt signaling in morphogenesis of the caudal neural tube and cloacal derivatives from the posterior growth zone". Development. 138 (16): 3451–62. doi:10.1242/dev.066118. hdl:10400.7/644. PMID 21752936.
12. Kinkel MD, Eames SC, Alonzo MR, Prince VE (March 2008). "Cdx4 is required in the endoderm to localize the pancreas and limit beta-cell number". Development. 135 (5): 919–29. doi:10.1242/dev.010660. PMID 18234725.
13. Davidson AJ, Ernst P, Wang Y, Dekens MP, Kingsley PD, Palis J, et al. (September 2003). "cdx4 mutants fail to specify blood progenitors and can be rescued by multiple hox genes". Nature. 425 (6955): 300–6. Bibcode:2003Natur.425..300D. doi:10.1038/nature01973. PMID 13679919. S2CID 4315496.

External links

• Human CDX4 genome location and CDX4 gene details page in the UCSC Genome Browser.

This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.