Tbx6
Developmental stage
TBX6 is first detected in the gastrulation stage in the primitive streak and newly recruited paraxial mesoderm. Later in development it is restricted to presomitic, paraxial mesoderm and to the tail bud, which replaces the streak as the source of mesoderm.
Function
T-box transcription factor that plays an essential role in the determination of the fate of axial stem cells: neural vs mesodermal. Acts in part by down-regulating, a specific enhancer (N1) of SOX2, to inhibit neural development. Seems to play also an essential role in left/right axis determination and acts through effects on Notch signaling around the node as well as through an effect on the morphology and motility of the nodal cilia.
Cellular localization
- Nucleus
Alternative names
T-box transcription factor TBX6, T-box protein 6