How a key regulatory protein guides cartilage formation during embryonic development

MedicalXpress | 四月 21, 2026

Sox9, a master regulator of cartilage formation, switches its target genes dynamically during embryonic limb development instead of following a fixed program, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. They analyzed mouse embryonic forelimb cells across different developmental stages using single-cell-level gene expression analysis and a state-of-the-art technique to detect Sox9's DNA binding sites. The findings lay the foundation for future research on skeletal diseases and regenerative medicine.