BarH-like homeobox 2 (BARHL2)

BarH-like homeobox 2 (BARHL2) is a sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor of the homeobox family that plays critical roles in neural development. It is expressed in developing neural tissues, especially the retina and spinal cord, where it promotes the differentiation of glycinergic amacrine cells while inhibiting bipolar and Müller glial cell formation during retinogenesis. In the spinal cord, BARHL2 regulates subtype diversification of interneurons, and its loss leads to fate changes in specific neuronal populations. BARHL2 also promotes neural progenitor survival, modulates cell cycle dynamics via caspase-3 and key signaling pathways, and is involved in diencephalon patterning through regulation of Sonic Hedgehog signaling. It is implicated as a biomarker in several cancers, notably oral squamous cell carcinoma and colorectal cancer, but is not currently pursued as a therapeutic target.

Other names

BarH-like 2 homeobox proteinBARHL2barH-like 2 homeobox proteinBarH Like Homeobox 2BARH2_HUMAN (UniProt protein symbol)HGNC:954 (gene symbol reference)

Not applicable; no drugs targeting BARHL2 are described