The evolution of Runx genes II. The C-terminal Groucho recruitment motif is present in both eumetazoans and homoscleromorphs but absent in a haplosclerid demosponge.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Runt DNA binding domain (Runx) defines a metazoan family of sequence-specific transcription factors with essential roles in animal ontogeny and stem cell based development. Depending on cis-regulatory context, Runx proteins mediate either transcriptional activation or repression. In many contexts Runx-mediated repression is carried out by Groucho/TLE, recruited to the transcriptional complex via a C-terminal WRPY sequence motif that is found encoded in all heretofore known Runx genes.

Findings

Full-length Runx genes were identified in the recently sequenced genomes of phylogenetically diverse metazoans, including placozoans and sponges, the most basally branching members of that clade. No sequences with significant similarity to the Runt domain were found in t

SUBMITTER: Robertson AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2674455 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature