SOX2
SOX2
SOX2 (pronounced "socks two") is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the regulation of embryonic development and in the determination of cell fate.
Etymology
The term "SOX2" is derived from the SRY (Sex-determining Region Y)-box 2 gene. The SOX gene family has been named after the high-mobility group (HMG) box domain that they share with the SRY gene, which is critical for male sex determination in mammals.
Function
SOX2 is a member of the SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) family of transcription factors involved in the regulation of embryonic development and in the determination of the cell fate. The encoded protein may act as a transcriptional activator after forming a protein complex with other proteins. This protein acts as a regulator of stem cells and may play a role in neural development.
Related Terms
- Transcription factor: A protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence.
- Embryonic development: The process by which the embryo forms and develops.
- Cell fate: The outcome of a cell's developmental pathway.
- SOX (SRY-related HMG-box): A family of transcription factors that bind to the minor groove in DNA, and that share the HMG-box domain with the sex-determining gene SRY.
- Stem cells: Undifferentiated cells capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cell arise by differentiation.
- Neural development: The processes that generate, shape, and reshape the nervous system, from the earliest stages of embryogenesis to the final years of life.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on SOX2
- Wikipedia's article - SOX2
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