Description
TBX21 (T-Box 21), also called T-bet (T-box expressed in T cells), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TBX21 gene. This gene is a member of a phylogenetically conserved family of genes that share a common DNA-binding domain, the T-box. Zhang and Yang(2000) mapped the mouse Tbx21 gene to chromosome 11D in an area showing homology of synteny with human chromosome 17. Szabo et al.(2000) showed that expression correlates with IFNG expression in Th1 and natural killer(NK) cells. Ectopic expression of T-bet both transactivated the IFNG gene and induced endogenous IFNG production. Finotto et al.(2002) observed reduced expression of the T(H)1 transcription factor T-bet in T cells from airways of patients with asthma compared with that in T cells from airways of nonasthmatic patients, suggesting that loss might be associated with asthma