132 citations
,
February 2002 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” This study demonstrated that HOXC13 directly influences hair keratin gene expression by binding to specific DNA motifs, suggesting its role in early hair follicle differentiation.
43 citations
,
August 2018 in “Cell Stem Cell” This study found that Hoxc gene expression can reprogram mesenchymal dermal papilla cells, enhance epithelial stem cell regenerative potential, and promote region-specific hair follicle regeneration through Wnt signaling.
20 citations
,
January 2017 in “Genetica” This study suggests that the methylation degree of HOXC8 exon 1 in the hair follicle may influence cashmere fiber growth in Liaoning cashmere goats.
19 citations
,
January 2015 in “Development” This study found that misexpression of Hoxc8 in mice led to ectopic mammary development and suggests Hox genes may play crucial roles in the regional specification and initiation of cutaneous accessory organs.
114 citations
,
May 2001 in “Development” This study found that overexpressing the Hoxc13 gene in mice causes hair loss and a skin condition similar to ichthyosis, identifying several gene targets that may regulate hair growth.
74 citations
,
October 2012 in “The American Journal of Human Genetics” This study found that loss-of-function mutations in the HOXC13 gene cause autosomal-recessive pure hair and nail ectodermal dysplasia, emphasizing its role in hair and nail development.
68 citations
,
December 2010 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study suggests a regulatory model where HOXC13 activates Foxn1, affecting hair and nail differentiation, supported by similarities in Hoxc13(tm1Mrc) and Foxn1(nu) mice phenotypes and gene expression patterns.
65 citations
,
July 2006 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” This study found that overexpression of Hoxc13 in GC13 mouse models affects hair follicle differentiation by interacting with medulla-specific genes, particularly Foxq1, suggesting a regulatory pathway for medulla differentiation.
47 citations
,
September 2004 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” This study provides evidence supporting a regulatory relationship between the transcriptional regulator Hoxc13 and Krtap16 genes, which are crucial for proper hair growth in mice.
27 citations
,
December 2005 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology” This study found that while malignant pilomatricomas maintain some keratin expression patterns seen in benign counterparts, they notably express additional epithelial keratins, potentially influencing tumor calcification.
22 citations
,
July 2012 in “Journal of integrative agriculture/Journal of Integrative Agriculture” This study found that Hoxc13 gene expression, influenced by melatonin, was associated with hair follicle activity in Cashmere goats, with in vitro evidence suggesting effects on genes relevant to follicle development.
17 citations
,
August 2018 in “BMC Genomics” The researchers found that HOXC13 regulates different keratin proteins in a mixed manner, with certain SNPs impeding this regulation, while also demonstrating negative-feedback by HOXC13 and positive regulation by LEF1 and melatonin on the HOXC13 promoter.
12 citations
,
April 2009 in “Agricultural sciences in China/Agricultural Sciences in China” This study found that during hair follicle morphogenesis in embryos, the expression pattern of the Hoxc13 gene and skin thickness show similar trends, suggesting possible regulatory mechanisms within Hoxc13 intron regions.
12 citations
,
December 2003 in “Gene” This study characterized the Hoxc-13 gene from sheep wool follicles, noting its potential autoregulatory role and potential influence on skin function beyond hair keratin regulation.
9 citations
,
June 2014 in “Molecular biology reports” KAP9.2 and Hoxc13 genes are important for cashmere growth and vary in activity during different stages.
7 citations
,
June 2015 in “The anatomical record” This study in Hexi cashmere goats found that secondary follicle activity increases with time, and Hoxc13 expression varies significantly across different growth stages, suggesting a role in follicle activity.
5 citations
,
April 2022 in “Genes” In Angora rabbits, overexpression of miR-129-5p was found to induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of dermal papilla cells, highlighting its role in hair follicle development by targeting HOXC13.
June 2026 in “Communications Biology” In this study, researchers found that the cornification process in the nuptial pads of Xenopus frogs involves the expression of the type II hair keratin homolog, krt59, and is regulated by the transcription factor hoxc13, showing similarities to mammalian hair evolution.
May 2026 in “Research Square” This research reports that the polyG fragment within the Hoxc13 protein alters its gene regulatory functions, which could have influenced mammalian hair evolution by affecting pathways related to hair follicle development.
January 2024 in “International journal of molecular sciences” This study found that higher expression of the Hoxc13 gene in specific areas of hair follicles is associated with longer wool length in Gansu alpine fine-wool sheep.
April 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This research suggests that hair keratins evolved from claw keratins in a hairless ancestor, with Hoxc13 controlling their expression in tetrapods, evidenced by the knockout of Hoxc13 hindering claw formation in Xenopus tropicalis frogs.
18 citations
,
November 2005 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” February 2026 in “Pediatric Dermatology” September 2025 in “Genes” In this study, researchers reported that specific gene polymorphisms in Jiangnan cashmere goats, particularly SNPs in the HOXC13 and WNT4 genes, were significantly associated with key economic traits like birth weight and yearling weight, providing molecular markers for breeding and enhancing economic trait stability.
245 citations
,
January 1998 in “Genes & Development” This study found that Hoxc13 mutations in mice cause defects in hair, nail, and tongue structures, with the most noticeable issue being brittle hair leading to alopecia.
29 citations
,
January 2021 in “G3 Genes Genomes Genetics” This study identified a 195 bp duplication in crested chickens that causes large crest feathers and can be associated with cerebral hernia in some breeds, but not all.
25 citations
,
June 2022 in “Developmental cell” In this study, Hedgehog signaling in dermal papilla fibroblasts was found to accelerate hair growth and induce follicle multiplication in mice via the SCUBE3/TGF-β pathway, with some effects observed in human scalp hair follicles.
25 citations
,
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.
17 citations
,
June 2019 in “BMC genomics” This study cataloged several long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs in cashmere goat dermal papilla cells, suggesting these non-coding RNAs may play a role in hair follicle stem cell activation and hair growth.
10 citations
,
November 2008 in “Veterinary Dermatology” In this study, the misshaped and hairy ear phenotype in mutant mice was linked to mis-expression of certain Hoxc genes due to a chromosomal inversion.