Multiple roles of hoxc8 in skeletal development.

We are interested in investigating the function of Hoxc8 in skeletogenesis during mouse development. Previous studies have shown that deregulation of Hoxc8 expression in the mouse leads to several skeletal defects, such as homeotic transformation in the thoracic vertebrae, abnormal development of the rib cage, and overproliferation of chondrocytes in the hypertrophic area. By deleting a crucial enhancer of Hoxc8 in vivo, we found that precise temporal expression of Hoxc8 is important for determining the correct identity of the vertebral column in early embryos. We also identified downstream targets of Hoxc8 relevant to osteoblast differentiation at later developmental stages.