Hox11 controls the genesis of the spleen

Abstract

MANY homeobox genes are clustered in a linear array along a chromosome, reflecting their ordered expression along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo¹. Expression patterns^2,3 as well as grafting⁴, ectopic expression^5,6 and loss-of-function experiments^7–11 suggest that the Hox genes encode a combinatorial system of positional specification along that axis. In contrast, the function of orphan homeobox genes¹² located at sites outside the four mammalian Hox clusters is less well understood. To assess the functional role of the orphan homeobox gene Hox11, we have generated Hox11-deficient mice through gene targeting. Hox11^-/- mice have no spleen, but otherwise appear normal. Hox11 is normally expressed in the splenic anlage arising from the splanchnic mesoderm. Hox11^-/- embryos have no cellular organization at the site of splenic development but all other splanchnic derivatives develop normally. Hox11 controls the genesis of a single organ, providing new insight into the genetic regulation of morphogenesis.