Identification and characterization of novel human tissue-specific RFX transcription factors
2008
Discovery of New Human RFX Transcription Factors
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Aftab Syed, Semenec Lucie, Chu Jeffrey Shih-Chieh, Chen Nansheng
Primary Institution: Simon Fraser University
Hypothesis
Orthologs of RFX6 and RFX7 exist in other mammalian genomes.
Conclusion
The identification of RFX6 and RFX7 expands the human RFX gene family and provides insights into their potential roles in development and disease.
Supporting Evidence
- RFX6 is expressed almost exclusively in the pancreatic islets.
- RFX7 has high ubiquitous expression in nearly all tissues examined, particularly in various brain tissues.
- Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the RFX family has undergone at least three gene duplications.
Takeaway
Scientists found two new genes in humans that help control how our cells work, which could be important for understanding diseases.
Methodology
The study used a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based search method to identify RFX genes in the human genome.
Limitations
The study did not explore the functional implications of RFX6 and RFX7 in detail.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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