It is unclear whether Zfhx1b has a common molecular mechanism in all developing cells. Zfhx1b mediates some of its functions through interactions with SMAD proteins, and thus participates in TGF-beta signaling (Vandewalle et al., 2008). Expression of the SMAD-binding transcriptional co-activator Cited1 was increased in Zfhx1b mutants (Sup. Figure 6). The link to SMAD signaling is intriguing because SMAD dominant negative expression can inhibit interneuron tangential migration (Maira et al., 2010).
