Forkhead Box Protein L1 (FOXL1)

The forkhead domain is a 100-amino acid monomeric DNA-binding motif originally identified as a region of homology between the Drosophila forkhead protein and rat Hnf3. Pierrou et al. (1994) identified 7 human genes encoding proteins with forkhead domains, including FOXL1, which they designated FREAC7. Northern blot analysis of several human tissues using a genomic FREAC7 fragment failed to detect FREAC7 expression.Madison et al. (2009) found that the upstream region of the FOXL1 gene contains 5 conserved GLI binding sites, as well as homeobox and forkhead consensus sites.Madison et al. (2009) found that expression of Foxf1  and Foxl1 in developing mouse stomach and intestine was dependent on Gli2 and Gli3 and was induced by an N-terminal fragment of Shh.