Disease relevance of Foxd2

• Purified plasma membranes of mouse EL4 lymphoma cells were fractionated by means of affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose into two subfractions; one (MF1) eluted freely from the affinity column, the second (MF2) adhered specifically to Con A-Sepharose [1].
• The DDT1 MF2 smooth muscle tumor cell line was derived from an estrogen/androgen-induced leiomyosarcoma that arose in the ductus deferens of a Syrian hamster [2].
• This study describes a model of hepatic amoebiasis in random bred mice (MF2) [3].

High impact information on Foxd2

• Mf2 (mesoderm/mesenchyme forkhead 2) encodes a forkhead/winged helix transcription factor expressed in numerous tissues of the mouse embryo, including paraxial mesoderm, somites, branchial arches, vibrissae, developing central nervous system, and developing kidney [4].
• We have generated mice homozygous for a null mutation in the Mf2 gene (Mf2(lacZ)) to examine its role during embryonic development [4].
• Minimal phenotype of mice homozygous for a null mutation in the forkhead/winged helix gene, Mf2 [4].
• The lacZ allele also allows monitoring of Mf2 gene expression [4].
• MF-1 RNA is present in non-notochordal mesoderm, and in neural-crest-derived head mesenchyme, while MF-2 transcripts are found in the sclerotomes of the somites and in head mesenchyme, including that from neural crest [5].

Biological context of Foxd2

• These results suggest that Mf2, like other murine forkhead genes, has multiple roles in embryogenesis, possibly mediating the response of cells to signaling molecules such as SHH [6].
• Cloning and sequencing of mouse Mf2 (mesoderm/mesenchyme forkhead 2) cDNAs revealed an open reading frame encoding a putative protein of 492 amino acids which, after in vitro translation, binds to a DNA consensus sequence [6].
• Transfection assays demonstrated that introduction of an antisense TA16 cDNA expression vector, controlled by an MMTV promoter, into the DDT1 MF2 cell significantly relieved the glucocorticoid-induced cell growth arrest [2].
• High levels of dystrophin cDNA expression, and an efficient distant transfection effect with preferential intranuclei inclusion of MF-2 vehicle, are very encouraging for the development of a new constructive strategy in gene therapy trials of DMD [7].
• Patterns of dystrophin and beta-galactosidase expression were examined in mdx mice after i.m. injections of synthetic microspheres (MF-2) loaded with full-length (pHSADy) or mini-dystrophin gene (pSG5dys) cDNA plasmid constructs or with LacZ marker gene (pCMV-LacZ) [7].

Anatomical context of Foxd2

• The other two are novel and have been named MF-1 and MF-2 (for mesoderm/mesenchyme fork head) [5].
• Mf2 is expressed at high levels in the ventral region of newly formed somites, in sclerotomal derivatives, in lateral plate and cephalic mesoderm and in the first and second branchial arches [6].
• In the nervous system Mf2 is transcribed in restricted regions of the mid- and forebrain [6].
• (iv) Some plasma membrane marker enzymes exhibited nearly identical specific activities in plasma membranes, MF1 or MF2 including gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, 5'-nucleotidase and Mg2+-ATPase [1].
• In T cells from Mf2-/- mice, reduced levels of RIalpha translates functionally into approximately 2-fold less sensitivity to cAMP-mediated inhibition of proliferation triggered through the T cell receptor-CD3 complex [8].

Associations of Foxd2 with chemical compounds

• Thus the specific activities of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase were several-fold enriched in MF2 compared to MF1 [1].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Foxd2

• The ability to induce syncytia by cocultivation of the MF2 cell with XC-cells was shown to be related to the viral production [9].
• Only one MF2 cell was present per syncytium, as shown by autoradiography [10].
• Immunoelectron microscopy using a syngenic mouse MF2 cell antiserum and peroxydase labeling revealed a complete mixing and redistribution of the respective plasma membrane sites of MF2 and XC cells on polykaryon surface [10].

References