SOX9: A Non-Coding RNA Molecule as A Potential Drug Target and Biomarker

Target Name: SOX9

NCBI ID: G6662

SOX9: A Non-Coding RNA Molecule as A Potential Drug Target and Biomarker

SOX9 (SRY-box9) is a non-coding RNA molecule that has been identified as a potential drug target and biomarker for various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune disorders. SOX9 is a key regulator of the sex determination process in many organisms, and its levels have been shown to be elevated in a variety of disease states.

The SOX9 gene is located on chromosome 18 and contains 295 coding and non-coding exons. SOX9 is expressed in most tissues and cells of the body, and its levels vary depending on the cell type and the disease state. SOX9 has been shown to play a role in the development and progression of various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

One of the key functions of SOX9 is its role in sex determination. SOX9 is a key regulator of the development and maintenance of sex identity in many organisms, including humans. In humans, SOX9 is expressed in the brain and other tissues, and its levels have been shown to be elevated in individuals with XX chromosomes and those with neurodevelopmental disorders.

In addition to its role in sex determination, SOX9 has also been shown to play a role in the development and progression of various diseases. For example, SOX9 has been shown to be elevated in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, and it has also been shown to be elevated in the blood of individuals with Parkinson's disease. In addition, SOX9 has been shown to be elevated in the brains of individuals with multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease.

SOX9 has also been shown to play a role in the development and progression of certain autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In these disorders, the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, leading to inflammation and damage. SOX9 has been shown to be elevated in individuals with these disorders, and it has been shown to play a role in the regulation of the immune system.

In addition to its role in disease, SOX9 has also been shown to be a potential drug target. Its elevated levels in disease states make it a promising target for small molecules and other therapeutic agents that can modulate its expression and activity. For example, studies have shown that SOX9 can be targeted by small molecules such as valproic acid, a drug used to treat epilepsy and other neurological disorders, and by camptothecins, a class of chemotherapy drugs used to treat various cancers.

In conclusion, SOX9 is a non-coding RNA molecule that has been identified as a potential drug target and biomarker for various diseases. Its role in sex determination and its elevated levels in disease states make it a promising target for small molecules and other therapeutic agents that can modulate its expression and activity. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of SOX9 and its role in disease.

Protein Name: SRY-box Transcription Factor 9

Functions: Transcription factor that plays a key role in chondrocytes differentiation and skeletal development (PubMed:24038782). Specifically binds the 5'-ACAAAG-3' DNA motif present in enhancers and super-enhancers and promotes expression of genes important for chondrogenesis, including cartilage matrix protein-coding genes COL2A1, COL4A2, COL9A1, COL11A2 and ACAN, SOX5 and SOX6 (PubMed:8640233). Also binds to some promoter regions (By similarity). Plays a central role in successive steps of chondrocyte differentiation (By similarity). Absolutely required for precartilaginous condensation, the first step in chondrogenesis during which skeletal progenitors differentiate into prechondrocytes (By similarity). Together with SOX5 and SOX6, required for overt chondrogenesis when condensed prechondrocytes differentiate into early stage chondrocytes, the second step in chondrogenesis (By similarity). Later, required to direct hypertrophic maturation and block osteoblast differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes: maintains chondrocyte columnar proliferation, delays prehypertrophy and then prevents osteoblastic differentiation of chondrocytes by lowering beta-catenin (CTNNB1) signaling and RUNX2 expression (By similarity). Also required for chondrocyte hypertrophy, both indirectly, by keeping the lineage fate of chondrocytes, and directly, by remaining present in upper hypertrophic cells and transactivating COL10A1 along with MEF2C (By similarity). Low lipid levels are the main nutritional determinant for chondrogenic commitment of skeletal progenitor cells: when lipids levels are low, FOXO (FOXO1 and FOXO3) transcription factors promote expression of SOX9, which induces chondrogenic commitment and suppresses fatty acid oxidation (By similarity). Mechanistically, helps, but is not required, to remove epigenetic signatures of transcriptional repression and deposit active promoter and enhancer marks at chondrocyte-specific genes (By similarity). Acts in cooperation with the Hedgehog pathway-dependent GLI (GLI1 and GLI3) transcription factors (By similarity). In addition to cartilage development, also acts as a regulator of proliferation and differentiation in epithelial stem/progenitor cells: involved in the lung epithelium during branching morphogenesis, by balancing proliferation and differentiation and regulating the extracellular matrix (By similarity). Controls epithelial branching during kidney development (By similarity)

More Common Targets