SOX12 explained

SOX12 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SOX12 gene.^{[1] [2]} Sox12 belongs to the SoxC group of Sox family of transcription factors, together with Sox4 and Sox11. Sox12-null knockout mice appear normal, unlike Sox4 or Sox11 knockout mice. This probably comes from functional redundancy with Sox4 and Sox11.^[3] Sox12 is a weaker activator than both Sox4 and Sox11 in mouse.^[4]

Members of the SOX family of transcription factors are characterized by the presence of a DNA-binding high mobility group (HMG) domain, homologous to the HMG box of sex-determining region Y (SRY). Forming a subgroup of the HMG domain superfamily, SOX proteins have been implicated in cell fate decisions in a diverse range of developmental processes. SOX transcription factors have diverse tissue-specific expression patterns during early development and have been proposed to act as target-specific transcription factors and/or as chromatin structure regulatory elements. The protein encoded by this gene was identified as a SOX family member based on conserved domains and its expression in various tissues suggests a role in both differentiation and maintenance of several cell types.^[2]

Further reading

• Bowles J, Schepers G, Koopman P . Phylogeny of the SOX family of developmental transcription factors based on sequence and structural indicators . Dev. Biol. . 227 . 2 . 239–55 . 2001 . 11071752 . 10.1006/dbio.2000.9883 . free .
• Weiss MA . Floppy SOX: mutual induced fit in hmg (high-mobility group) box-DNA recognition . Mol. Endocrinol. . 15 . 3 . 353–62 . 2001 . 11222737 . 10.1210/mend.15.3.0617 . free .
• Gozé C, Poulat F, Berta P . Partial cloning of SOX-11 and SOX-12, two new human SOX genes . Nucleic Acids Res. . 21 . 12 . 2943 . 1993 . 8332506 . 10.1093/nar/21.12.2943 . 309692 .

Notes and References

1. Jay P, Sahly I, Goze C, Taviaux S, Poulat F, Couly G, Abitbol M, Berta P . SOX22 is a new member of the SOX gene family, mainly expressed in human nervous tissue . Hum Mol Genet . 6 . 7 . 1069–77 . Aug 1997 . 9215677 . 10.1093/hmg/6.7.1069 . free .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: SOX12 SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 12.
3. Hoser M, Potzner MR, Koch JM, Bösl MR, Wegner M, Sock E . Sox12 Deletion in the Mouse Reveals Nonreciprocal Redundancy with the Related Sox4 and Sox11 Transcription Factors . Mol. Cell. Biol. . 28 . 15 . 4675–87 . August 2008 . 18505825 . 2493363 . 10.1128/MCB.00338-08.
4. Dy P, Penzo-Méndez A, Wang H, Pedraza CE, Macklin WB, Lefebvre V . The three SoxC proteins—Sox4, Sox11 and Sox12—exhibit overlapping expression patterns and molecular properties . Nucleic Acids Res. . 36 . 9 . 3101–17 . May 2008 . 18403418 . 2396431 . 10.1093/nar/gkn162.