Forkhead Box Protein N4 (FOXN4)

Members of the winged-helix/forkhead family of transcription factors, such as FOXN4, are characterized by a 110-amino acid DNA-binding domain that can fold into a variant of the helix-turn-helix motif consisting of 3 alpha helices flanked by 2 large loops or wings. These transcription factors are involved in a variety of biologic processes as key regulators in development and metabolism.Danilova et al. (2004) found that zebrafish Foxn4 was expressed in the developing nervous system, eye, and olfactory organ. In the adult, Foxn4 was expressed in the nervous system and thymus.Li et al. (2004) detected Foxn4 expression in a subset of mitotic progenitor cells during mouse retinal development.