Dorsal Root Ganglia Homeobox Protein (DRGX)

Drg11, a paired homeodomain transcription factor. Drg11 was expressed in most sensory neurons, but not in glia or sympathetic neurons. Drg11 was also expressed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, a region to which NGF-dependent sensory neurons project. Drg11 is a useful marker for sensory neurons and may function in the establishment or maintenance of connectivity between sensory neurons and their central nervous system targets.

Drg11-deficient mouse embryos displayed abnormalities in the timing and position of the initial ingrowth of sensory afferent fibers to the dorsal horn and subsequently in morphogenesis of the dorsal horn itself. There was a significant reduction in sensitivity of adult Drg11-deficient mice to various types of painful stimuli.