Functional implications of C-terminus of TBX5 with high homology to C-terminal domain of yeast DNA-directed RNA polymerase Ⅱ largest subunit

TBX5, as a member of the T-box-containing transcription factor family, encodes a protein of 518 amino acids and is expressed in the embryonic heart and developing limb tissues.1 The coding region of TBX5 cDNA is 1.5 kb with eight exons including the N-terminal portion, the DNA binding domain and C-terminal region. We reported that the abnormality in transcription level of the TBX5 gene might be the mechanism underlying human simple congenital heart disease in the absence of TBX5 mutations.