This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the homeobox family of transcription factors. The encoded protein plays a role in the development and patterning of the head. This protein regulates development of the choroid plexuses in the brain affecting composition of cerebrospinal fluid in the developing brain and is thought to function in the development of sense organs in the embryo. In humans, mutations in this gene are associated with pituitary hormone deficiency. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2013]