The genomic organization and function of IRX1 in tumorigenesis and development

Iroquois homeobox (IRX), containing transcription factor family of homologous genes and proteins, is widely expressed in both vertebrates and invertebrates embryonic tissue expression profiles. They play a crucial role in the regionalization and patterning of tissues and organs during metazoan development. IRX1, belonging to the IRX gene family, codes for active proteins involved in the development of vertebrate nervous system and plays an important role in the development of various other organs during embryo development. It also plays a critical role in the tumor formation and is identified as both the oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in a variety of tumors. This review summarizes the recent discoveries on the genomic structure of IRX1 and the type classification in different species. More specifically, we focused on explaining the key role of IRX1 in tumorigenesis, and development of tumor and influence in biological processes of metazoans, which we hope will provide a better understanding of the mechanism of IRX1.