Cardiac Transcription Factor Nkx2.7 is a Novel Regulator of Craniofacial Development

PROJECT NARRATIVE NKX2-5 and NKX2-6 are homeobox transcription factors that are known to be associated with congenital heart defects in humans. In zebrafish, a null mutation in nkx2.7, a NKX2-6 homologue, results in larval lethality due to abnormal pharyngeal arch development and craniofacial morphogenesis. Our findings underscore the previously unappreciated function of nkx2.7 in branchiomeric muscle and cartilage formation, highlighting its role as a novel regulator of cardiopharyngeal stem cell progenitors and as a potential candidate gene responsible for overlapping cardiac and craniofacial defects in humans.