The genetics of murine Hox Loci: TAMERE, STRING, and PANTHERE to engineer chromosome variants

Abstract

Following their duplications at the base of the vertebrate clade, Hox gene clusters underwent remarkablesub- and neo-functionalization events. Many of these evolutionary innovations can be associated with changes in the transcriptional regulation of their genes, where an intricate relationship between the structure of the gene cluster and the architecture of the surrounding genomic landscape is at play. Here, we report on a portfolio of in vivo genome engineering strategies in mice, which have been used to probe and decipher the genetic and molecular underpinnings of the complex regulatory mechanisms implemented at these loci.