Transcription factor with sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Binds to the consensus sequence 5'-[AT][AT]CAA[AT]G-3', showing a preference for 5'-AACAAT-3' and 5'-AACAAAG-3'. Inhibits beta-catenin-mediated dorsal axis specification by binding to sites within the promoter of the beta-catenin-regulated gene nodal5. Acts maternally as a transcriptional repressor of nodal5 and nodal6 to restrict their expression to the vegetal hemisphere of early embryos and thus establish germ layer formation. Acts at multiple points to inhibit nodal signaling, repressing the expression of the other mesoderm-inducing nodal genes nodal, nodal2 and nodal4, and also acting downstream to induce expression of genes including trim33/ectodermin, ema and coco, whose products repress nodal signaling. Interacts with ctnnb1. Primarily cytoplasmic in early embryos. Nuclear localization becomes more pronounced as development proceeds. Expression is restricted to the animal hemisphere of the uncleaved egg and early cleavage embryos. In late blastula and gastrula stages, expressed in the dorsal animal and marginal zone. In neurula stages, expressed in the developing central nervous system including the otic vesicles, branchial arches and the lens epithelium of the developing eye. At stage 23 (early tail bud), expressed in the neural tube and around the anterior neural plate. Throughout tail bud stages, expressed in the brain, and in the otic vesicle and branchial arches. Weakly expressed in the eye lens at stage 30 (late tailbud). In adults, mainly expressed in the ovary, with faint expression in the brain, testis, muscle and skin. Expressed both maternally and zygotically. Most abundant in stage I oocytes. Expression fades away at stage 7 and then is elevated at the late blastula stage (stage 9), which continues during neurulation. From stage 25 onwards, expression levels decrease. By bmp-antagonism. Fgf is required for maintenance of expression, but not for induction. The 9aaTAD motif is a transactivation domain present in a large number of yeast and animal transcription factors.