RESUMO
Paired box transcription factors (paired box, PAX) and their homologues found in a large number of vertebrates and invertebrates play a key role in many stages of embryonic development. The gene family gets its name because of its conserved paired domain, in addition to its octapeptide and homologous domain. According to the composition of the domain and sequence homology, the gene family is mainly divided into four subfamilies: PAX1 / 9 (PAX1, PAX9), PAX2 / 5 / 8 (PAX2, PAX5, PAX8), PAX3 / 7 (PAX3, PAX7), PAX4 / 6 (PAX4, PAX6). Each subfamily has different characteristic structures, such as PD-OP of PAX1 / 9 subfamily, PD-OP-PTHD of PAX2 / 5 / 8 subfamily, PD-OP-PTHD of PAX3 / 7 subfamily and PD and PTHD of PAX4 / 6 subfamily. Among them, the three members of the PAX family, PAX2 PAX4 and PAX6, play an important role in multiple stages of pancreatic development and differentiation, and also play a key role in regulating the synthesis and secretion of islet hormone. Understanding the original and differentiated roles of these transcription factors in pancreas will help finding potential treatment for diabetes. Furthermore, PAX1 / 9 families may serve as potential biomarkers for evaluation of tumor development and progression, such as the methylation levels of PAX1 and expression of PAX9 in tumor. PAX3 / 7 was transcription factors involved in the development of skeletal muscle. This paper reviewed the special and temporal expression of PAX genes in a wide variety of tumor and the function and structural abnormalities PAX gene were summarized in this paper.