Emx homeogenes and mouse brain development

Mammalian homeogenes of the Emx family Emx1 and Emx2, ave expressed in the developing cerebral cortex and are involved in the patterning of the rostra l brain. Although very little is known about the role of Emx1, details of t he function of EMX2 are emerging from the observation of cortical phenotype s in normal and mutant mice. Emx2 is expressed in proliferating neuroblasts and in the so-called postmitotic Cajal-Retzius cells, known to control mig ration of cortical neurons. The graded distribution of EMX2 homeoprotein su ggests a potential role for EMX2 in the subdivision of the cortex into terr itories and possibly areas.