FoxP4, a novel forkhead transcription factor.

Forkhead proteins have been demonstrated to play key roles in embryonic development, cell cycle regulation, and oncogenesis. We report the characterization of a new forkhead transcription factor, which is a member of the FoxP subfamily. In adult tissues FoxP4 is expressed in heart, brain, lung, liver, kidney, and testis. By Northern hybridization, very low levels of FoxP4 expression were found as early as E7 during embryonic development. Embryonic expression was highest at E11 and subsequently decreased at E15 and E17. In situ hybridization revealed expression of FoxP4 in the developing lung and gut, suggesting a role for FoxP4 during the development of these organs. In addition, FoxP4 was found to be significantly reduced in patients with kidney tumors. Lastly, FoxP4 matches an uncharacterized human EST that has previously been shown to be down-regulated in larynx carcinoma.