| Contributors | p. ix |
| Preface | p. xi |
| The Bithorax Complex of Drosophila: An Exceptional Hox Cluster | p. 1 |
| Pseudoallelism and the History of the BX-C | p. 2 |
| The Ed Lewis Model | p. 3 |
| Molecular Genetics of the BX-C | p. 6 |
| Initiation and Maintenance Phases in BX-C Regulation | p. 9 |
| Initiators, Maintenance Elements, and Segment-Specific Enhancers | p. 10 |
| Organization of the Cis-Regulatory Regions into Chromosomal Domains | p. 13 |
| Chromatin Boundaries Flank the Parasegment-Specific Domains | p. 16 |
| Boundaries Versus Insulators and Long-Distance Interactions | p. 17 |
| Mixing the Old and the New | p. 21 |
| Colinearity in the BX-C | p. 24 |
| References | p. 27 |
| Evolution of the Hox Gene Complex from an Evolutionary Ground State | p. 35 |
| Introduction | p. 36 |
| The Lewis Model | p. 37 |
| The Developmental and Evolutionary Ground State | p. 39 |
| Mechanisms of Epistatic Hox-Hox Interactions | p. 46 |
| The Evolutionary Origin of the Hox Cluster | p. 47 |
| Duplication and Divergence as a General Evolutionary Principle | p. 55 |
| Conclusion | p. 56 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 57 |
| References | p. 57 |
| Hox Specificity: Unique Roles for Cofactors and Collaborators | p. 63 |
| An Introduction to the Problem | p. 64 |
| Too Many Binding Sites, Not Enough Specificity | p. 65 |
| How Specific Do Hox Proteins Need to be? | p. 67 |
| Hox Cofactors | p. 72 |
| What Do In Vivo Hox-Binding Sites Look Like? | p. 78 |
| Insights into Hox Specificity from Structural Studies | p. 82 |
| Activity Regulation of Hox Proteins: The Role of Hox Collaborators | p. 87 |
| Insights into Hoxasome Function from Cis-Regulatory Element Architecture | p. 89 |
| Conclusions | p. 91 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 91 |
| References | p. 91 |
| Hox Genes and Segmentation of the Vertebrate Hindbrain | p. 103 |
| Introduction | p. 104 |
| Hindbrain Segmentation | p. 105 |
| Expression of Hox Genes in the Hindbrain | p. 111 |
| Hox Gene Regulatory Networks in Hindbrain Segmentation | p. 114 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 126 |
| References | p. 126 |
| Hox Genes in Neural Patterning and Circuit Formation in the Mouse Hindbrain | p. 139 |
| Introduction | p. 140 |
| Basic Anatomical Background and Cellular Mechanisms of Hindbrain Development | p. 140 |
| The Impact of Segmental Patterning on Sensory Nuclei Columnar Organization and Projection Patterns | p. 142 |
| Rostrocaudal Profiles and Sequential Phases of Hox Gene Expression: From Progenitor Patterning to Postmitotic Neuron Connectivity | p. 144 |
| Hox Gene Function: Lessons from Mouse Knockouts | p. 148 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 160 |
| References | p. 160 |
| Hox Networks and the Origins of Motor Neuron Diversity | p. 169 |
| Introduction | p. 170 |
| Spinal Motor Neuron Diversity | p. 171 |
| Hox Expression in Developing Motor Neurons | p. 176 |
| Hox Proteins Determine Motor Neuron Columnar Identity and Connectivity | p. 179 |
| Hox Transcriptional Networks and the Specification of Motor Pool Identities | p. 182 |
| Restriction and Refinement of Hox Activities During Motor Neuron Differentiation | p. 188 |
| Conclusions | p. 194 |
| References | p. 195 |
| Establishment of Hox Vertebral Identities in the Embryonic Spine Precursors | p. 201 |
| Introduction | p. 202 |
| Initial Hox Gene Activation in Paraxial Mesoderm Precursors in the Epiblast | p. 204 |
| Molecular Control of Temporal Colinearity | p. 210 |
| Converting Temporal into Spatial Colinearity | p. 212 |
| Posterior Prevalence is Required for the Establishment of Spatial Colinearity | p. 213 |
| Spatial Dissociation of Segmentation and Hox Gene Activation Programs | p. 217 |
| Definitive Positioning of Hox Gene Boundaries in the Somites | p. 219 |
| Positioning of Hox Gene Boundaries in the Forming Segments | p. 223 |
| Conclusion: Determination of the Axial Fate of Vertebral Precursors | p. 225 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 226 |
| References | p. 226 |
| Hox, Cdx, and Anteroposterior Patterning in the Mouse Embryo | p. 235 |
| The Hox and Cdx Gene Family | p. 236 |
| Similarities and Differences in the Two Expression Phases of Hox and Cdx Genes in the Mouse Embryo | p. 238 |
| Hox and Cdx Gene Expression and A-P Patterning | p. 242 |
| Conclusion | p. 248 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 250 |
| References | p. 250 |
| Hox Genes and Vertebrate Axial Pattern | p. 257 |
| Introduction | p. 258 |
| Hox Genes and the Axial Skeleton | p. 259 |
| Hox Function in Axial Patterning | p. 263 |
| Conclusions-The Nature of the Mammalian "Hox Code" | p. 270 |
| References | p. 273 |
| Index | p. 279 |
| Contents of Previous Volumes | p. 285 |
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