Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
Published on: February 16, 2017
The evolution of Fox genes and their role in development and disease
Sridhar Hannenhalli1, Klaus H Kaestner
1Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. sridharh@pcbi.upenn.edu; Kaestner@mail.med.upenn.edu
Abstract:
The forkhead box (Fox) family of transcription factors, which originated in unicellular eukaryotes, has expanded over time through multiple duplication events, and sometimes through gene loss, to over 40 members in mammals. Fox genes have evolved to acquire a specialized function in many key biological processes. Mutations in Fox genes have a profound effect on human disease, causing phenotypes as varied as cancer, glaucoma and language disorders. We summarize the salient features of the evolution of the Fox gene family and highlight the diverse contribution of various Fox subfamilies to developmental processes, from organogenesis to speech acquisition.
Related Concept Videos
Pleiotropy
General Transcription Factors
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

