2le4

Structural highlights

Disease

[SOX2_HUMAN] Defects in SOX2 are the cause of microphthalmia syndromic type 3 (MCOPS3) [MIM:206900]. Microphthalmia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder of eye formation, ranging from small size of a single eye to complete bilateral absence of ocular tissues (anophthalmia). In many cases, microphthalmia/anophthalmia occurs in association with syndromes that include non-ocular abnormalities. MCOPS3 is characterized by the rare association of malformations including uni- or bilateral anophthalmia or microphthalmia, and esophageal atresia with trachoesophageal fistula.^[1]

Function

[SOX2_HUMAN] Transcription factor that forms a trimeric complex with OCT4 on DNA and controls the expression of a number of genes involved in embryonic development such as YES1, FGF4, UTF1 and ZFP206 (By similarity). Critical for early embryogenesis and for embryonic stem cell pluripotency. May function as a switch in neuronal development. Downstream SRRT target that mediates the promotion of neural stem cell self-renewal (By similarity). Keeps neural cells undifferentiated by counteracting the activity of proneural proteins and suppresses neuronal differentiation (By similarity).^[2]

References

1. ↑ Fantes J, Ragge NK, Lynch SA, McGill NI, Collin JR, Howard-Peebles PN, Hayward C, Vivian AJ, Williamson K, van Heyningen V, FitzPatrick DR. Mutations in SOX2 cause anophthalmia. Nat Genet. 2003 Apr;33(4):461-3. Epub 2003 Mar 3. PMID:12612584 doi:10.1038/ng1120
2. ↑ Takahashi K, Tanabe K, Ohnuki M, Narita M, Ichisaka T, Tomoda K, Yamanaka S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors. Cell. 2007 Nov 30;131(5):861-72. PMID:18035408 doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.11.019