Background：

This intronless gene encodes a member of the SOX family of transcription factors involved in the regulation of embryonic development and in the determination of the cell fate. The encoded protein may act as a transcriptional regulator after forming a protein complex with other proteins， such as syndecan binding protein. The protein may function in the apoptosis pathway leading to cell death as well as to tumorigenesis and may mediate downstream effects of parathyroid hormoneand PTH-related protein in bone development. The solution structure has been resolved for the HMG-box of a similar mouse protein.