RAX Antibody

Rax (Retinal and anterior neural fold homeobox), a paired-type homeobox protein, is a human homolog of Drosophila Rx protein. It is a marker of developing eye and forebrain in vertebrates, initially expressed in the region of the forebrain where optic vesicles are formed, and is involved in promoting the division of retinal progenitor cells early in development. As development progresses, expression is seen in the retina and hypothalamus. RAX is essential for eye development. Knockout of RAX in mice eliminated eye development, and RAX mutation in humans result in Anophthalmia, where one or both eyes fail to develop.