CDX4

CDX4, or caudal type homeobox 4, is a member of the CDX family of caudal-related transcription factors. It encodes a nuclear protein containing a homeodomain that binds DNA and regulates gene expression. CDX4 participates in developmental programs that pattern the posterior body axis and influence cell fate decisions in multiple lineages.

In vertebrates, CDX4 is expressed during embryogenesis in the posterior regions of the neural tube and hindgut, and in hematopoietic progenitors in some species. As a transcription factor, it can activate or repress target genes and is thought to function within regulatory networks that coordinate axial elongation, gut specification, and blood cell development.

CDX4 activity is regulated by signaling pathways that pattern the posterior axis, including Wnt and FGF signaling, and by epigenetic mechanisms. It often functions together with other transcription factors and cofactors, such as PBX and MEIS proteins, to achieve specific DNA-binding and transcriptional outcomes important for lineage specification.

Clinical relevance for CDX4 is less well defined than for CDX2. Abnormal CDX4 expression or function has been reported in some cancer and developmental studies, but definitive roles in human disease require further investigation. CDX4 has been examined in mouse and zebrafish models to illuminate its conserved contributions to development and hematopoiesis.