| abstract |
The present invention relates to an isolated promoter region of the mammalian transcription factor FOXC2. The invention also relates to screening methods for agents modulating the expression of FOXC2 and thereby being potentially useful for the treatment of medical conditions related to obesity. The invention further relates to a previously unknown variant of the human FOXC2 gene, derived via the use of an alternative promoter, which produces an additional exon that generates a distinct open reading frame via splicing. The alternative gene encodes a variant of the FOXC2 transcription factor, which is lacking a part of the DNA-binding domain and consequently has a potential regulatory function. |