Sox7, a member of the SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) family of transcription factors, plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes. It is essential in embryonic development, regulating hematopoiesis, vasculogenesis, and cardiogenesis. In the cardiovascular system, it is involved in pathways like VEGF/Flk1 signaling, Wnt signaling, and the Notch pathway [2,3].

In mice, endothelial-specific loss of Sox7 function leads to cardiac ventricular defects similar to non-compaction cardiomyopathy, with abnormal coronary artery formation. This is due to disrupted transcriptional regulation of the Notch pathway and connexins 37 and 40. Also, Sox7-null endothelial cells transdifferentiate into hematopoietic lineages, indicating its role in maintaining cardiac endothelial cell identity, which is vital for ventricular compaction and coronary artery development [1]. In cancer, functional studies show tumor-suppressive properties of Sox7 in various cancers. For example, in bladder cancer, it inhibits malignant progression via the DNMT3B/CYGB axis [4].

In conclusion, Sox7 is a key regulator in embryonic development, especially in cardiovascular development, and has tumor-suppressive functions in cancer. The gene knockout and conditional knockout mouse models have been instrumental in revealing its role in cardiac development-related diseases and cancer, providing insights into potential therapeutic targets.

References:

1. Chiang, Ivy Kn, Humphrey, David, Mills, Richard J, Del Monte-Nieto, Gonzalo, Francois, Mathias. 2023. Sox7-positive endothelial progenitors establish coronary arteries and govern ventricular compaction. In EMBO reports, 24, e55043. doi:10.15252/embr.202255043. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37551717/

2. Stovall, Daniel B, Cao, Paul, Sui, Guangchao. 2013. SOX7: from a developmental regulator to an emerging tumor suppressor. In Histology and histopathology, 29, 439-45. doi:10.14670/HH-29.10.439. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24288056/

3. Wat, Jeanette J, Wat, Margaret J. . Sox7 in vascular development: review, insights and potential mechanisms. In The International journal of developmental biology, 58, 1-8. doi:10.1387/ijdb.130323mw. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24860989/

4. Zhang, Jingcheng, Zhang, Wentao, Liu, Ji, Yao, Xudong, Yan, Yang. 2024. SOX7 inhibits the malignant progression of bladder cancer via the DNMT3B/CYGB axis. In Molecular biomedicine, 5, 36. doi:10.1186/s43556-024-00198-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39227479/