Target genes and biological role of transcription factors in animal

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To understand the molecular basis of various biological phenomena in vertebrate, it is essential to clarify the the regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level. Development and differentiation of specific cellular lineage can be thought as a cascade of expression of multile genes at various time points. In this research project, to understand the molecular mechanism of development and differentiation, we have analyzed how various transcription factors are invoved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis apoptosis at various cell lineages. The following results have been obtained. 1) The mutant mice of co-repressor Sno were generated, and Sno was shown to act as the oncogene and also as a tumor suppressor suppressor depending on the cell type. 2) Two bHLH transcription factors, Math3 and Mash1, were shown to shown to function as the decision factor of differentiation into neuron. 3) Transcription factor Pitx2, which control the left-right assymetry, is expressed only in the left side. This expression is induced by the **e Nodal signali, and is maintained by transcription factor NKx2.4) Transcription factor IRF-1 was demonstrated to be tumor susceptibility gene. 5) The activity of transcription factor GATA-3 was found to to be regulated by a direct acytylation. 6) The small Maf gene products were shown to act as either activator or repressor depending on their amounts.