FOX proteins

FOX (forkhead box) proteins are a family of transcription factors that play important roles in regulating the expression of genes involved in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and longevity. Many FOX proteins are important to embryonic development.[1][2] FOX proteins also have pioneering transcription activity by being able to bind condensed chromatin during cell differentiation processes.[3]

The defining feature of FOX proteins is the forkhead box, a sequence of 80 to 100 amino acids forming a motif that binds to DNA. This forkhead motif is also known as the winged helix, due to the butterfly-like appearance of the loops in the protein structure of the domain.[4] Forkhead proteins are a subgroup of the helix-turn-helix class of proteins.

  1. ^ Tuteja G, Kaestner KH (September 2007). "SnapShot: forkhead transcription factors I". Cell. 130 (6): 1160.e1–1160.e2. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.09.005. PMID 17889656. S2CID 38793380.
  2. ^ Tuteja G, Kaestner KH (October 2007). "Forkhead transcription factors II". Cell. 131 (1): 192–192.e1. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.09.016. PMID 17923097. S2CID 322449.
  3. ^ Zaret KS, Carroll JS (November 2011). "Pioneer transcription factors: establishing competence for gene expression". Genes Dev. 25 (21): 2227–41. doi:10.1101/gad.176826.111. PMC 3219227. PMID 22056668.
  4. ^ Lehmann OJ, Sowden JC, Carlsson P, Jordan T, Bhattacharya SS (2003). "Fox's in development and disease". Trends in Genetics. 19 (6): 339–344. doi:10.1016/S0168-9525(03)00111-2. PMID 12801727.