Sall4 is mammalian homologs of the Drosophila region-specific homeotic gene spalt, which encodes a zinc finger-containing transcription regulator. Drosophila spalt is an essential genetic component required for the specification of posterior head and anterior tail as opposed to trunk. Sall3 is expressed at 24 weeks of gestation in several regions of the human fetal brain including neurons of the hippocampus formation and of mediodorsal and ventrolateral thalamic nuclei, Purkinje cells of the