SATB Homeobox Protein 2 (SATB2)

SATB2 encodes a DNA binding protein that specifically binds nuclear matrix attachment regions. The encoded protein is involved in transcription regulation and chromatin remodeling. Defects in this gene are associated with isolated cleft palate and mental retardation. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants that encode the same protein.

The deduced 761-amino acid protein shares 61% identity with SATB1. RT-PCR ELISA detected high expression in adult brain, moderate expression in fetal brain, and weak expression in adult liver, kidney, and spinal cord and in select brain regions, including amygdala, corpus callosum, caudate nucleus, and hippocampus. Little to no expression was detected in all other tissues and individual brain regions examined.