SOX12

{{Short description|Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens}}

{{Infobox_gene}}

SOX12 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SOX12 gene.{{cite journal | vauthors = Jay P, Sahly I, Goze C, Taviaux S, Poulat F, Couly G, Abitbol M, Berta P | title = SOX22 is a new member of the SOX gene family, mainly expressed in human nervous tissue | journal = Hum Mol Genet | volume = 6 | issue = 7 | pages = 1069–77 |date=Aug 1997 | pmid = 9215677 | doi =10.1093/hmg/6.7.1069 | doi-access = free }}{{cite web | title = Entrez Gene: SOX12 SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 12| url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=gene&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=6666}} Sox12 belongs to the SoxC group of Sox family of transcription factors, together with Sox4 and Sox11. Sox12-null knockout mice appear normal, unlike Sox4 or Sox11 knockout mice. This probably comes from functional redundancy with Sox4 and Sox11.{{cite journal |vauthors=Hoser M, Potzner MR, Koch JM, Bösl MR, Wegner M, Sock E |title=Sox12 Deletion in the Mouse Reveals Nonreciprocal Redundancy with the Related Sox4 and Sox11 Transcription Factors |journal=Mol. Cell. Biol. |volume=28 |issue=15 |pages=4675–87 |date=August 2008 |pmid=18505825 |pmc=2493363 |doi=10.1128/MCB.00338-08}} Sox12 is a weaker activator than both Sox4 and Sox11 in mouse.{{cite journal |vauthors=Dy P, Penzo-Méndez A, Wang H, Pedraza CE, Macklin WB, Lefebvre V |title=The three SoxC proteins—Sox4, Sox11 and Sox12—exhibit overlapping expression patterns and molecular properties |journal=Nucleic Acids Res. |volume=36 |issue=9 |pages=3101–17 |date=May 2008 |pmid=18403418 |pmc=2396431 |doi=10.1093/nar/gkn162}}

Members of the SOX family of transcription factors are characterized by the presence of a DNA-binding high mobility group (HMG) domain, homologous to the HMG box of sex-determining region Y (SRY). Forming a subgroup of the HMG domain superfamily, SOX proteins have been implicated in cell fate decisions in a diverse range of developmental processes. SOX transcription factors have diverse tissue-specific expression patterns during early development and have been proposed to act as target-specific transcription factors and/or as chromatin structure regulatory elements. The protein encoded by this gene was identified as a SOX family member based on conserved domains and its expression in various tissues suggests a role in both differentiation and maintenance of several cell types.