T-box基因家族在脊椎动物心脏发育中起重要作用,主要作用于脊椎动物的早期心脏谱系决定、心室特化、房室分隔和胚胎传导系统分化等。该基因家族主要包括Tbxl、Tbx2、Tbx3、乃巧、Tbx18和Tbx20。这些基因在心脏发育过程中表现出复杂的时间、空间调节作用。本文从分子水平上对T-box基因在心脏的发生发展过程中所起的作用作一综述。
Members of the T-box gene family (Tbx) are essential for normal heart development. T-box genes have been implicated in early cardiac lineage determination, chamber specification, valvuloseptal development, and differentiation of the specialized conduction system in vertebrate embryos. This gene family includes Tbxl, Tbx2, Tbx3, Tbx5, Tbx18 , and Tbx20, all of which exhibit complex temporal spatial regulation in developing cardiac structures. The molecular hierarchies and developmental processes controlled by T-box genes in the heart are the focus of this review.