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The development of an organism depends on cells receiving and executing their specific fates , though how this process is regulated remains largely unknown . Here , we identify a mechanism by which a specific cell fate , apoptosis , is determined through the cooperative efforts of Hox and E2F proteins . E2F transcription factors are critical , conserved regulators of the cell cycle and apoptosis . However , little is known about the two most recently discovered mammalian E2Fs— -E2F7 and E2F8 . In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , we identify a novel E2F7 /8 homolog , EFL -3 , and show that EFL -3 functions cooperatively with LIN -39 , providing the first example in which these two major developmental pathways— -E2F and Hox— -are able to directly regulate the same target gene . Our studies demonstrate that LIN -39 and EFL -3 function in a cell type -specific context to regulate transcription of the egl -1 BH3 only cell death gene and determine cell fate during development . |
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