| First Author | Simon R | Year | 2003 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 24 | Pages | 9046-60 |
| PubMed ID | 14645517 | Mgi Jnum | J:86868 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2682185 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.23.24.9046-9060.2003 |
| Citation | Simon R, et al. (2003) Postnatal lethality in mice lacking the Sax2 homeobox gene homologous to Drosophila S59/slouch: evidence for positive and negative autoregulation. Mol Cell Biol 23(24):9046-60 |
| abstractText | Homeobox gene transcription factors direct multiple functions during development. They are involved in early patterning of the embryo as well as cell specification, cell differentiation, and organogenesis. Here we describe a previously uncharacterized murine homeobox gene, Sax2, that shows high similarity to the Drosophila S59/slouch and murine Sax1 genes. We show that Sax2 gene expression occurs early during embryogenesis in the midbrain, the midbrain-hindbrain boundary, the ventral neural tube, the developing eye, and the apical ectodermal ridge of the limb. To determine the role of Sax2 during development, we generated a knockout mouse line by replacing part of the Sax2 coding sequences with the lacZ gene. The Sax2 null allele mutants exhibit a strong phenotype indicated by growth retardation starting immediately after birth and leading to premature death within the first 3 weeks postnatal. Intriguingly, our studies also demonstrated a striking autoregulation of the Sax2 gene in both positive- and negative-feedback mechanisms depending on the specific cell type expressing Sax2. |
