Hox Transcription Factors: Modulators of Cell-Cell and Cell-Extracellular Matrix Adhesion

Table 1

Hox proteins controlling expression of cell adhesion molecules.

Hox protein	Controlled cell adhesion molecules	Organism	Cell or tissue	Proposed function	References
Scr	Integrin 𝛼 subunit; (𝛼PS1) (+)	Drosophila	Salivary gland	Organ formation and migration	[41, 42]
Abd-B	E-Cadherin (+); Nonclassical; cadherins (+)	Drosophila	Posterior spiracle	Organ formation	[40]
Hoxb1	N-Cadherin (−); Cadherin 6B (−); Cadherin 7 (+)	Chick	Neural crest cells	EMT	[43]
HOXD1	𝛽1 Integrin (+)	Human	HUVEC	Increase in cell motility	[44]
Hoxa2	Cadherin 6B (−)	Chick	Neural crest cells	EMT	[43]
HOXD3	𝛽3 Integrin (+); Cadherin 4 (−)	Human	Erythroleukemia; (HEL)	Increased adhesion to fibronectin	[45, 46]
HOXD3	𝛽3 Integrin (+)	Human	HUVEC	Conversion to angiogenic phenotype	[47]
HOXD3	𝛼3 Integrin (+); 𝛽3 Integrin (+); E-Cadherin (−); N-Cadherin (+)	Human	Lung cancer; (A549)	Increase in cell motility; EMT	[33]
HOXD3	N-Cadherin (−)	Mouse	Roof plate cells	Expansion in the neural tube	[34]
HOXA4	𝛽1 Integrin (+)	Human	Ovarian cancer epithelium	Decrease in cell motility	[48]
Hoxc6	N-CAM (+)	Mouse	NIH 3T3; fibroblast	Increase in promoter activity	[49]
HOXA7	E-Cadherin (+)	Human	Ovarian surface; epithelium (IOSE-29)	MET	[50]
HOXB7	E-Cadherin (−); claudin 1, 4, 7 (−)	Human	Mammary epithelium; (MCF10A)	EMT	[51]
Hoxb8	N-CAM (−)	Mouse	NIH 3T3; fibroblast	Reduction in promoter activity	[16]
Hoxb9	N-CAM (+)	Mouse	NIH 3T3; fibroblast	Increase in promoter activity	[16]
HOXB9	E-Cadherin (−)	Human	Mammary epithelium; (MCF10A)	EMT	[52]
HOXA10	E-Cadherin (+)	Human	Endometrial carcinoma; (SPEC2, KLE)	MET	[53]
HOXA10	𝛽3 Integrin (+)	Human	Endometrium	Pathway regulated by sex steroid	[54]
HOXA10	𝛽3 Integrin (+)	Human	Myeloma; (U937)	Increased adhesion to fibronectin	[55]
HOXA11	𝛼8 Integrin (+)	Human	Embryonic kidney; 239	Branching morphogenesis	[56]
Hoxa13	EphrinA7 (+)	Mouse	Mesenchyme in limb bud	Cell sorting	[57]

(+): upregulated expression; (−): downregulated expression; HUVEC: human umbilical vein endothelial cells; MET: mesenchymal to epithelial transition; EMT: epithelial to mesenchymal transition.