Expression of the forkhead transcription factor FoxN4 in progenitor cells in the developing Xenopus laevis retina and brain

Forkhead proteins are involved in gene regulation in a large variety of developmental situations. Several forkhead gene products are expressed in the developing eye and brain. Here we characterize the expression of FoxN4 during Xenopus development. We report that FoxN4 is expressed in the eye from the earliest stages of specification through retinal maturation. FoxN4 is also expressed in the pallium, optic tectum, isthmus, reticular formation, and in cells lining the ventricle of the tadpole brain.