%0 Journal Article %J Genes Dev %D 2008 %T A dermal HOX transcriptional program regulates site-specific epidermal fate. %A Rinn, John L %A Wang, Jordon K %A Allen, Nancy %A Brugmann, Samantha A %A Mikels, Amanda J %A Liu, Helen %A Ridky, Todd W %A Stadler, H Scott %A Nusse, Roel %A Helms, Jill A %A Chang, Howard Y %C Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. %P 303–307 %R 10.1101/gad.1610508 %V 22 %X Reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions shape site-specific development of skin. Here we show that site-specific HOX expression in fibroblasts is cell-autonomous and epigenetically maintained. The distal-specific gene HOXA13 is continually required to maintain the distal-specific transcriptional program in adult fibroblasts, including expression of WNT5A, a morphogen required for distal development. The ability of distal fibroblasts to induce epidermal keratin 9, a distal-specific gene, is abrogated by depletion of HOXA13, but rescued by addition of WNT5A. Thus, maintenance of appropriate HOX transcriptional program in adult fibroblasts may serve as a source of positional memory to differentially pattern the epithelia during homeostasis and regeneration. %8 Feb