January 2026 in “MDPI (MDPI AG)” This study revealed that heterozygous mice with the hairy ear mutation exhibited significant gene expression changes related to hair growth, such as upregulation of hair keratin and keratin-associated proteins, shedding light on the Hoxc gene cluster's role in this phenotype.
25 citations
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November 2020 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” This study found that the HoxC gene cluster plays a critical role in the development of ectodermal organs, including hair and nails, with mammalian-specific enhancers increasing transcription levels during development.
4 citations
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October 2018 in “Cell Stem Cell” This study shows that differences in Hoxc gene expression in hair follicle mesenchyme along the body axis contribute to regional variations in mammalian hair growth.
3 citations
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March 2025 in “Science Advances” This study found that the unique crest feather formation in Polish chickens is driven by a 195-bp duplication in the HoxC10 gene region, which alters gene expression by modifying the genomic structure, suggesting a mechanism for diverse integumentary appendages in birds.
June 2020 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This study found that the HoxC gene cluster is crucial for the development of hair and nails in mice, with key regulation by two mammalian-specific enhancers.