Int. J. Dev. Biol. 62: 733 - 744 (2018)
doi: 10.1387/ijdb.180178rr
© UPV/EHU Press

Post-translational modifications of HOX proteins, an underestimated issue

Amandine Draime1,#, Laure Bridoux1,#, Yacine Graba*,2 and René Rezsohazy*,1

1Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and 2Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France

ABSTRACT Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important determinants which contribute to modulating the turn-over, intracellular localisation, molecular interactions and activity of most eukaryotic proteins. Such modifications and their consequences have been extensively examined for some proteins or classes of proteins. This is not the case for the HOX transcription factors which are crucial regulators of animal development. In this review, we provide a survey of the literature and data repositories pertaining to HOX-associated PTMs. This highlights that HOX proteins are also likely widely post-translationally modified, and defines HOX PTMs as an under-valued facet of their biology.

Keywords:

HOX protein, post-translational modification, protein-protein interactions

*Corresponding author e-mail: yacine.graba@univ-amu.fr