Cripto, FRL1, Cryptic Family 1B (CFC1B)

CFC1B Contains 1 EGF-like domain.EGF-like domain is an evolutionary conserved protein domain, of about thirty to forty amino-acid residues long, which was found in a large number of mostly animal proteins.The EGF domain includes six cysteine residues which have been shown (in EGF) to be involved in three disulfide bonds. The main structure is a two-stranded beta-sheet followed by a loop to a C-terminal short two-stranded sheet.The EGF-like motif possesses the characteristic 6 cys residues, but the first 2 are adjacent, thus eliminating the A loop. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of mouse embryos had shown an initial symmetry-breaking event in or around the node followed by propagation to the left lateral plate mesoderm where Nodal , Lefty2, and Pitx2 are expressed and regulate subsequent asymmetric morphogenesis . Cryptic mutant mice have defects in nearly all L-R asymmetric morphogenesis.