Forkhead Box Protein I1 (FOXI1)

FOXI1 belongs to the forkhead family of transcription factors which is characterized by a distinct forkhead domain. Mutations in this gene may be associated with the common cavity phenotype. Although Fkh10 may play a role in the kidney during later stages of development, it may be a minor, or perhaps redundant, role, as no kidney dysfunction was observed in homozygous knockout mice. On the contrary, Fkh10 appears to be unique in the sense that it is an early otic vesicle-specific gene necessary for the development of both cochlea and vestibulum. These findings implicated Fkh10 as an early regulator necessary for development of both cochlea and vestibulum and identified its human homolog, FKHL10, as a candidate deafness gene at 5q34.