Gene Ontology
Gene ontology is used in bioinformatics to assign predicted gene action. It is divided into three main domains: Biological Process, Molecular Function, and Cellular Component. Each of these have their unique classifications for the protein/gene of interest. In regards to Sox9, it being a transcription factor, one would expect its effects to be pleiotropic. Of course, the GO terms have demonstrated that this is indeed the case. Sox9 is primarily found to regulate developmental processes such as chondrogenesis and sex determination, among other things. It is shown to bind DNA, is associated with PolII, and is found only in the nucleus. All of these point it to be a transcription factor important in the developmental processes of interest.
Biological Process
Molecular Function
Cellular Component
GO Tree of Sox9
GO Tree of Sox9. Obviously too large to see. Click on link to see the graph and generate the tree to look at it in more detail.
References
http://amigo.geneontology.org/cgi-bin/amigo/gp-details.cgi?gp=UniProtKB:P48436&session_id=7099amigo1297980583
http://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/GProtein?ac=P48436
http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0024288.html
http://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/GProtein?ac=P48436
http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0024288.html
