The transcription factor HOXB13 plays crucial roles in cancer development. HOXB13 is abnormally expressed in most cancers, which makes it a valuable therapeutic target for cancer therapy. The level of HOXB13 differs significantly between healthy and cancer tissues, which indicates that the level of HOXB13 is closely related to carcinogenesis. The regulatory network mediated by HOXB13 in cancer proliferation, metastasis, and invasion has been systematically investigated. Moreover, HOXB13 variants play distinct roles in different cancers and populations. By understanding the molecular mechanisms and mutation features of HOXB13, we provide a comprehensive overview of carcinogenesis networks dependent on HOXB13. Finally, we discuss advancements in anticancer therapy targeting HOXB13 and the roles of HOXB13 in drug resistance to molecular-targeted therapies, which serves as a foundation for developing HOXB13-targeted drugs for clinical diagnosis and cancer therapies.
Humans ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism* ; Carcinogenesis/genetics* ; Mutation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics*

Flowering and bolting are important agronomic traits in cruciferous crops such as Brassica juncea. Timely flowering can ensure the crop organ yield and quality, as well as seed propagation. The WRKY family plays an important role in regulating plant bolting and flowering, while the function and mechanism of WRKY12 in B. juncea remain unknown. To explore its function and mechanism in bolting and flowering of B. juncea, we cloned and characterized the BjuWRKY12 gene in B. juncea and found that its expression levels were significantly higher in flowers and inflorescences than in leaves. BjuWRKY12 belonged to the Ⅱc subfamily of the WRKY family, and subcellular localization indicated that the protein was located in the nucleus. Ectopic overexpression of BjuWRKY12 in transgenic lines promoted bolting and flowering, leading to significant increases in the expression levels of flowering integrators SOC1 and FUL. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter system assays confirmed that BjuWRKY12 directly bound to the promoters of BjuSOC1 and BjuFUL, undergoing protein-DNA interactions. This discovery gives new insights into the regulation network and molecular mechanisms of BjuWRKY12, laying a theoretical foundation for the breeding of high-yield and high-quality varieties of B. juncea.
Mustard Plant/metabolism* ; Flowers/growth & development* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and genetic etiology of a fetus with bilateral ear malformation and microphthalmia. METHODS: A fetus diagnosed with Syndromic Microphthalmia 5 (MCOPS5) on January 29, 2024 at Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital was selected as the study subject. A retrospective study was conducted to collect clinical data. Peripheral blood samples (3 mL) were collected from the parents, and amniotic fluid (10 mL) was obtained from the fetus. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to whole-exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing of the family members. The pathogenicity of the candidate variant was classified according to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital (Ethics No.: EC2023-094). RESULTS: The gestational age of the fetus was 23⁺² weeks. Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hypoplastic left external ear, bilateral reduced eyeball volume, and abnormal brain parenchyma development. WES has identified a heterozygous frameshift variant in the OTX2 gene (NM_021728.4: c.706_725del, p.Thr236ProfsTer17). Sanger sequencing confirmed that neither parent has carried the same variant, indicating a de novo origin. According to the ACMG guidelines, this variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PVS1_Strong+PM2_Supporting+PS2_Supporting). CONCLUSION The heterozygous frameshift variant (NM_021728.4: c.706_725del) of the OTX2 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of this fetus. Above finding has expanded the mutational spectrum of OTX2 gene and may contribute to the understanding of syndromic microphthalmia.
Humans ; Otx Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Phenotype ; Microphthalmos/diagnostic imaging* ; Mutation ; Fetus/abnormalities* ; Male ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Exome Sequencing

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics, therapeutic responses and prognostic features of E2A-PBX1 fusion gene for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: A total of 837 pediatric patients with ALL who were initially diagnosed in our hospital from July 2010 to November 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, 48 children with positive E2A-PBX1 fusion gene were detected by the real-time quantitative PCR techniques and their data were retrospectively collected for analysis. RESULTS: Among 48 cases with positive E2A-PBX1 fusion gene, there were 26 males and 22 females, with onset ages ranging from 9 months to 13 years old. There were 2 cases (4.2%) in the low-risk group, 32 cases (66.7%) in the intermediate-risk group, and 14 cases (29.1%) in the high-risk group at initial diagnosis. The white blood cell (WBC) counts of 25 cases (53.2%) at initial diagnosis were <50×10⁹/L, 11 cases (23.4%) were (50-100)×10⁹/L, and 11 cases (23.4%) ≥100×10⁹/L. The main immunophenotype was common-B ALL (44 cases, 91.7%). Other leukemia fusion genes such as BCR-ABL1, MLL-AF4, and TEL-AML1 were not observed in this cohort of patients. All patients received the treatment of NPCLC-ALL2008 protocol, and 5 cases (10.4%) occurred poor prednisone response. All the 48 cases achieved complete remission (CR) after the induction treatments. The last follow-up date was April 30, 2023. A total of 5 children relapsed, including 1 case with intermediate risk and 4 cases with high risk. The recurrence rate in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the intermediate- and low-risk groups (both P < 0.05). Most relapsed children had elevated WBC counts at initial diagnosis. Among them, WBC counts ≥100×10⁹/L was observed in 4 cases. The recurrence rate among children with WBC counts ≥100×10⁹/L was significantly higher than that with WBC counts <100×10⁹/L (P < 0.01). Four deaths occurred in this cohort, of which 3 died of leukemia recurrence. The 10-year event-free survival rate and 10-year overall survival rate of the 48 children with positive E2A-PBX1 fusion gene were 87.5%±4.8% and 91.7%±4.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION In ALL children with positive E2A-PBX1 fusion gene, those with elevated WBC counts and high risk stratification at initial diagnosis are more likely to experience recurrence. Recurrence is the main cause of death in this group. It is suggested that such kind of children receive more intensive chemotherapy or undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as early as possible to further improve prognosis.
Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/diagnosis* ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Homeodomain Proteins

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of adult AML patients with NUP98::HOXA9 fusion gene. METHODS: From May 2017 to October 2023， among 2 113 AML patients who visited the Hematology Department of our hospital, patients with NUP98 rearrangements were screened. The clinical characteristics, chromosome karyotypes, immunophenotypes, gene mutations, treatment efficacy and prognosis of the patients with NUP98::HOXA9 positive were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 2 113 AML patients, there were 18 cases with NUP98 rearrangement, including 14 NUP98::HOXA9 positive cases, with a detection rate of 0.66% (14/2 113). The median age of the NUP98::HOXA9 positive patients was 42.5 (23-64) years old. The most common chromosome karyotype was t(7; 11)(p15; p15). The immunophenotypes of all patients expressed CD13, CD33, CD117 and CD38, and most patients expressed CD34 and cMPO, while only a few expressed HLA-DR. Second-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to detect genetic mutations associated with leukemia in all 14 patients, and the genes exhibiting a high frequency of mutation were WT1 (10/14), TET2 (7/14), and FLT3-ITD (6/14). Additionally, mutations were also observed in KRAS/NRAS, IDH1, and KIT. Of the 13 patients who received treatment, 9 achieved complete remission (CR), and all 3 patients who received azacytidine(AZA)+ venetoclax (VEN) regimen achieved CR after the first course of treatment. Within this cohort, 6 patients were classified as relapsed/refractory (6/13). 4 patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), of which two achieved long-term survival. The median follow-up time was 12 (2.1-65.0) months, while the median overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were recorded as 11.4 months and 9.6 months, respectively. CONCLUSION The most common type of NUP98 rearrangement in adults AML patients is NUP98::HOXA9 , which is often accompanied by somatic mutations in WT1, TET2, and FLT3-ITD. These patients are prone to relapse, have short survival time, and generally face poor prognoses. Hopefully, utilization of the AZA+VEN regimen is anticipated to enhance the rate of induced remission in the patients, and some patients may prolong their survival through allo-HSCT. However, more effective treatment methods are still needed to improve the overall prognosis of these patients.
Humans ; Adult ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Mutation ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*

The development of bone in human body and the maintenance of bone mass in adulthood are regulated by a variety of biological factors. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), as one of the many factors regulating bone tissue development and balance, has been shown to play a key role in bone development and metabolism. However, there is limited systematic analysis on the effects of MEF2C on bone tissue. This article reviews the role of MEF2C in bone development and metabolism. During bone development, MEF2C promotes the development of neural crest cells (NC) into craniofacial cartilage and directly promotes cartilage hypertrophy. In terms of bone metabolism, MEF2C exhibits a differentiated regulatory model across different types of osteocytes, demonstrating both promoting and other potential regulatory effects on bone formation, with its stimulating effect on osteoclasts being determined. In view of the complex roles of MEF2C in bone tissue, this paper also discusses its effects on some bone diseases, providing valuable insights for the physiological study of bone tissue and strategies for the prevention of bone diseases.
Humans ; MEF2 Transcription Factors/physiology* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Animals ; Bone Development/physiology* ; Osteogenesis/physiology* ; Myogenic Regulatory Factors/physiology*

Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Central/therapy* ; Hypoventilation/congenital* ; Homeodomain Proteins

Objective To explore the cell subsets and characteristics related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma by analyzing the cellular composition of tumor tissue samples from different osteosarcoma patients.Methods The single-cell sequencing data and bulk sequencing data of different osteosarcoma patients were downloaded.We extracted the information of cell samples for dimensionality reduction,annotation,and cell function analysis,so as to identify the cell subsets and clarify the cell characteristics related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma.The development trajectory of macrophages with prognostic significance was analyzed,and the prognostic model of osteosarcoma was established based on the differentially expressed genes of macrophage differentiation.Results The cellular composition presented heterogeneity in the patients with osteosarcoma.The infiltration of mononuclear phagocytes in osteosarcoma had prognostic significance(P=0.003).Four macrophage subsets were associated with prognosis,and their signature transcription factors included RUNX3(+),ETS1(+),HOXD11(+),ZNF281(+),and PRRX1(+).Prog_Macro2 and Prog_Macro4 were located at the end of the developmental trajectory,and the prognostic ability of macrophage subsets increased with the progression of osteosarcoma.The prognostic model established based on the differentially expressed genes involved in macrophage differentiation can distinguish the survival rate of osteosarcoma patients with different risks(P<0.001).Conclusion Macrophage subsets are closely related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma and can be used as the key target cells for the immunotherapy of osteosarcoma.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Osteosarcoma/genetics* ; Immunotherapy ; Macrophages ; Transcription Factors ; Bone Neoplasms/genetics* ; Homeodomain Proteins ; Repressor Proteins

OBJECTIVE: To establish HL-60 cells and adriamycin resistant HL-60 cells (H-60/ADR) in which the expression of homologous box gene 1 (SIX1) was inhibited, and investigate the effect of inhibiting the expression of SIX1 on the drug resistance. METHODS: Lentivirus was used to transfect HL-60 and HL-60/ADR cells, and the cell lines stably inhibiting the expression of SIX1 were screened by puromycin. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of cells in each group, apoptosis kit was used to detect the cell apoptosis, and real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression level of drug-resistant related genes. RESULTS: HL-60 and HL-60/ADR stably transfected cell lines with down-regulation of SIX1 expression were successfully constructed. Compared with control group, the inhibition of SIX1 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 and HL-60/ADR cells (P <0.05), increased the apoptosis rate (P <0.05), and the sensitivity of cells to adriamycin increased after inhibition of SIX1 expression. CONCLUSION Inhibition of SIX1 expression can improve cell sensitivity to adriamycin, and its role in reversing drug resistance may be related to the promotion of apoptosis gene expression.
Humans ; HL-60 Cells ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Doxorubicin/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*

MADS-box gene family is a significant transcription factor family that plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth, development, signal transduction, and other processes. In order to study the characteristics of MADS-box gene family in Docynia delavayi (Franch.) Schneid. and its expression during different stages of seed germination, this study used seedlings at different stages of germination as materials and screened MADS-box transcription factors from the transcriptome database of D. delavayi using bioinformatics methods based on transcriptome sequencing. The physical and chemical properties, protein conservative motifs, phylogenetic evolution, and expression patterns of the MADS-box transcription factors were analyzed. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the expression of MADS-box gene family members during different stages of seed germination in D. delavayi. The results showed that 81 genes of MADS-box gene family were identified from the transcriptome data of D. delavayi, with the molecular weight distribution ranged of 6 211.34-173 512.77 Da and the theoretical isoelectric point ranged from 5.21 to 10.97. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 81 genes could be divided into 15 subgroups, among which DdMADS27, DdMADS42, DdMADS45, DdMADS46, DdMADS53, DdMADS61, DdMADS76, DdMADS77 and DdMADS79 might be involved in the regulation of ovule development in D. delavayi. The combination of the transcriptome data and the qRT-PCR analysis results of D. delavayi seeds indicated that DdMADS25 and DdMADS42 might be involved in the regulation of seed development, and that DdMADS37 and DdMADS38 might have negative regulation effects on seed dormancy. Previous studies have reported that the MIKC^* subgroup is mainly involved in regulating flower organ development. For the first time, we found that the transcription factors of the MIKC^* subgroup exhibited a high expression level at the early stage of seed germination, so we speculated that the MIKC^* subgroup played a regulatory role in the process of seed germination. To verify the accuracy of this speculation, we selected DdMADS60 and DdMADS75 from the MIKC^* subgroup for qRT-PCR experiments, and the experimental results were consistent with the expression trend of transcriptome sequencing. This study provides a reference for further research on the biological function of D. delavayi MADS-box gene family from the perspective of molecular evolution.
MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Profiling