Kenyon CJ et al. (1997) Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol "The dance of the Hox genes: patterning the anteroposterior body axis of Caenorhabditis elegans."

Costa M, Hunter CP, Harris JM, Maloof JN, Mueller-Immergluck MM, Salser SJ, Cowing DW, Wang BB, Austin JA, Honigberg LA, Kenyon CJ, Waring DA, Wrischnik LA

[Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, 1997]

Hox mutations are fascinating. Like magic, they can turn antennae into legs or create extra wings. What makes these genes so talented? How can they make such high-level decisions? Are there simple rules that can explain the effects they have on the development of individual cells? Do the genes act multiple times during the development of a tissue to micromanage individual cell fate decisions, or can they act relatively early to initiate developmental programs that run independently of their further input?