Sex Determining Region Y Box Protein 13 (SOX13)

SOX13 encodes a member of the SOX family of transcription factors involved in the regulation of embryonic development and in the determination of cell fate. The encoded protein may act as a transcriptional regulator after forming a protein complex with other proteins. It has also been determined to be a type-1 diabetes autoantigen, also known as islet cell antibody 12.The deduced SOX13 protein has 890 amino acids with a centrally located HMG box and an N-terminal leucine zipper motif with a neighboring glutamine stretch called a Q box. The protein shares 75% homology with mouse Sox13. Sequence homology with other SOX proteins indicates that SOX13 is a member of subfamily D. high expression of SOX13 in kidney, lung, and liver and low expression in thymus, brain, spleen, and muscle.