Hox genes encode a family of transcription factors that instruct positional identify along the anterior-posterior axis of animal bodies. The ‘posterior’ Hox group of vertebrates have undergone a deuterostome-specific expansion to pattern caudal and distal structures, like the motor neurons of the spinal cord. There, as elsewhere, Hox proteins with similar DNA-binding domains instruct a diversity of cell fates. Now, Milica Bulajić, Esteban Mazzoni and colleagues investigate how this occurs, using an in vitro motor neuron differentiation system. Expression of different Hox genes in progenitor motor neurons promotes distinct spinal cord fates, in a manner recapitulating embryonic development. ChIP-seq reveals distinct genome binding profiles for HOXC6, HOXC9 and HOXC10. In the case of HOXC9 and HOXC10, this is despite high homeodomain sequence similarity, and despite having similar sequence preference; rather, HOXC9 has a higher preference for relatively inaccessible chromatin. Furthermore, chromatin accessibility is increased to a large degree following HOXC9 binding. Even Hox proteins within the same HOX9 paralog group have distinct chromatin-binding capacities. HOXC13 genomic binding diverges from all other posterior groups because of a distinct sequence preference and chromatin binding profile. Finally, the genomic binding of posterior Hox proteins is associated with differential gene expression. Thus, divergence in posterior Hox patterning activity can be explained by sequence preference and how well they bind inaccessible chromatin.
How similar Hox genes instruct diverse cell fates: the case for chromatin binding
- Split-screen
- Views Icon Views
-
Article Versions Icon
Versions
- Version of Record 23 November 2020
- Share Icon Share
-
Tools Icon
Tools
- Search Site
How similar Hox genes instruct diverse cell fates: the case for chromatin binding. Development 15 November 2020; 147 (22): e2204. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
About us

Our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 this year. Read about the history of the Company and find out what Sarah Bray, our Chair of the Board of Directors, has to say.
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues

Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology

In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.