Acts partially redundantly with other irx members in neural patterning. Required for formation of the posterior forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and to a lesser extent, spinal cord. Both up-regulates an...[+]

Acts partially redundantly with other irx members in neural patterning. Required for formation of the posterior forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and to a lesser extent, spinal cord. Both up-regulates and down-regulates gene expression during neural development. Acts early in neural plate development to induce proneural gene expression and specify a neural precursor state. Also up-regulates repressors that prevent neuronal differentiation. Required during at least two stages of pronephros kidney development; during neurula stages, maintains transcription of key renal genes to define the size and identity of the pronephric anlage, probably in part through regulation of bmp-signaling. Subsequently required for proper formation of the intermediate tubule segment of the pronephros. [-]