Homeobox protein SIX2 (SIX2)

Transcription factor that plays a significant role in the development of many organs, including kidney, liver, skull and stomach. During kidney development, keeps cap mesenchyme multipotent nephron progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state by opposing the inductive signals generated from the ureteric bud and cooperates with WNT9B to promote renewing progenitor cells proliferation.

Acts through its interaction with TCF7L2 and OSR1 in a canonical Wnt signaling independent manner preventing transcription of differentiation genes in cap mesenchyme such as WNT4. Additionally acts independently of OSR1 to activate expression of many cap mesenchyme genes, such as itself, GDNF and OSR1.