Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026
10:10
HOX Loci Focused CRISPR/sgRNA Library Screening Identifying Critical CTCF Boundaries
Published on: March 31, 2019
Function of a transcription factor CDX2 beyond its trophectoderm lineage specification
Toshihiro Sakurai1, Hanako Bai, Toshihiro Konno
1Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Endocrinology
|October 22, 2010
Summary
The transcription factor caudal-related homeobox 2 (CDX2) regulates interferon τ (IFNT) gene expression through histone modifications. CDX2 recruits cAMP response element binding protein-binding protein, increasing histone acetylation for IFNT gene regulation.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The transcription factor caudal-related homeobox 2 (CDX2) is known to regulate trophectoderm differentiation.
- Its precise role in regulating specific genes like interferon τ (IFNT) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the novel role of CDX2 in histone modifications of the interferon τ (IFNT) gene.
- To elucidate the regulatory mechanism by which CDX2 influences IFNT gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in ovine conceptuses at different pregnancy stages.
- Luciferase assays and transfection of CDX2 constructs in bovine fibroblast cells.
- Small interfering RNA (siRNA) treatment to assess CDX2 knockdown effects.
Main Results:
- CDX2 expression and H3K18 acetylation at the IFNT gene peaked on days 14 and 16 of ovine pregnancy, declining thereafter.
- Candidate CDX2 binding sites were identified in the bovine IFNT gene promoter.
- CDX2 transfection increased histone acetylation and recruited cAMP response element binding protein-binding protein (CBP), a histone acetyltransferase.
Conclusions:
- CDX2 plays a significant role in regulating IFNT gene expression via epigenetic modifications.
- CDX2 recruits CBP, leading to increased histone acetylation at the IFNT gene locus.
- This mechanism highlights a new pathway for CDX2-mediated gene regulation in reproductive processes.
Related Concept Videos
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
02:16Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
02:16Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
02:33Combinatorial Gene Control
Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...