Freund JN, Duluc I, Reimund JM, Gross I, Domon-Dell C. Extending the functions of the homeotic transcription factor Cdx2 in the digestive system through nontranscriptional activities. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21(5): 1436-1443 [PMID: 25663763 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i5.1436]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jean-Noël Freund, PhD, INSERM UMR_S1113, Université de Strasbourg, FMTS, 3 Avenue Molière, 67200 Strasbourg, France. jean-noel.freund@inserm.fr
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 7, 2015; 21(5): 1436-1443 Published online Feb 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i5.1436
Extending the functions of the homeotic transcription factor Cdx2 in the digestive system through nontranscriptional activities
Jean-Noël Freund, Isabelle Duluc, Jean-Marie Reimund, Isabelle Gross, Claire Domon-Dell
Jean-Noël Freund, Isabelle Duluc, Jean-Marie Reimund, Isabelle Gross, Claire Domon-Dell, INSERM UMR_S1113, Université de Strasbourg, FMTS, 67200 Strasbourg, France
Jean-Marie Reimund, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Strasbourg, 67200 Strasbourg, France
Author contributions: All authors reviewed the literature and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Jean-Noël Freund, PhD, INSERM UMR_S1113, Université de Strasbourg, FMTS, 3 Avenue Molière, 67200 Strasbourg, France. jean-noel.freund@inserm.fr
Telephone: +33-388-277727 Fax: +33-388-263538
Received: October 10, 2014 Peer-review started: October 11, 2014 First decision: November 14, 2014 Revised: November 25, 2014 Accepted: December 16, 2014 Article in press: December 16, 2014 Published online: February 7, 2015
Core Tip
Core tip: The homeobox gene Cdx2 plays crucial functions in the gut, being the one determinant of intestinal identity during embryonic development, and then a key regulator of homeostasis of the gut epithelium throughout adulthood. It acts at the level of the stem/progenitor cells as well as in mature epithelial cells. Cdx2 is also important in digestive diseases, especially in colorectal cancer where it is thought to have a tumor suppressor role. In addition, it becomes abnormally expressed ectopically in non-intestinal organs, including gastric intestinal-type metaplasia and Barrett’s esophagus and their related adenocarcinomas, and even in leukemia. The homeoprotein Cdx2 primarily acts as a DNA-binding transcription factor. However, recent reports provide evidence for novel mechanisms of action that are transcription-independent. In this review, we summarize these new data that considerably extend the molecular potential of Cdx2 and open new questions and research area regarding the role of this homeoprotein in physiology and pathology.
