UNIPROT #

P26367

PROTEIN NAME

Paired box protein Pax-6

GENE NAME

PAX6

SYNONYMS

PAX6

SEQUENCE SIMILARITIES

Belongs to the paired homeobox family.

TISSUE SPECIFICITY

Fetal eye, brain, spinal cord and olfactory epithelium. Isoform 5a is less abundant than the PAX6 shorter form.

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE

Expressed in the developing eye and brain. Expression in the retina peaks at fetal days 51-60. At 6-week old, in the retina, is predominantly detected in the neural layer (at protein level). At 8- and 10-week old, in the retina, the expression is strongest in the inner and middle layer of the neural part (at protein level).

POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION

Ubiquitinated by TRIM11, leading to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.

SUBCELLULAR LOCATION

Nucleus.

FUNCTION

Transcription factor with important functions in the development of the eye, nose, central nervous system and pancreas. Required for the differentiation of pancreatic islet alpha cells (By similarity). Competes with PAX4 in binding to a common element in the glucagon, insulin and somatostatin promoters. Regulates specification of the ventral neuron subtypes by establishing the correct progenitor domains (By similarity). Isoform 5a appears to function as a molecular switch that specifies target genes.