鸡卵白蛋白上游启动子转录因子(COUP-TFs)是类固醇/甲状腺激素受体超家族中的一类孤核受体,包括COUP-TF Ⅰ和COUP-TFⅡ2个亚型.COUP-TFs在胚胎发育、器官形成、神经系统形成和细胞分化中起着至关重要的作用.许多研究表明COUP-TFs也参与胚眼的发育,COUP-TFs基因突变由于可导致眼组织缺损、小眼球、视神经萎缩、眼发育迟缓、斜视、弱视等表型形成而备受关注.然而COUP-TFs对胚眼发育的调控机制目前尚不明确.就COUP-TFs的来源、分子结构、分类和生物学功能、COUP-TFs调控靶基因转录的作用机制以及对胚眼发育的影响及其作用机制进行综述.“,”Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factors (COUP-TFs) are the orphan receptors of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily.These factors include COUP-TF Ⅰ and COUP-TF Ⅱ,which play critical roles in embryonic development,organogenesis,neurogenesis and cellular differentiation.Many studies showed that COUP-TFs were also involved in the development of embryonic eye.More attention has been paid to the issue that mutations of COUP-TFs genes lead to phenotypes of coloboma,small eyes,optic atrophy,eye retardation,strabismus,and amblyopia.However,the mechanisms of COUP-TFs regulating the development of embryonic eye are not clear.The origin,molecular struture,classification,biological functions,mechanisms of regulating the target genes transcription and development of embryonic eye of COUP-TFs were reviewed.