Transcriptional repressor that down-regulates bmp4 signaling in both mesoderm and ectoderm. Regulates mesoderm patterning by repressing ventral mesoderm genes and promoting the expression of dorsolateral genes. Can also neuralize ectodermal cells directly. Inhibits neural crest migration. The transcription factors foxd1 and foxg1 mutually repress each other to pattern the forebrain. Expressed in gastrula (stage 10) embryos in the dorsolateral mesoderm, where expression continues until mesoderm involution. In early neurula embryos (stage 12.5), expressed in the anterior neural plate in the prospective diencephalon and eye field, and in the anterior neural folds, with expression becoming stronger as neurulation proceeds. At stage 14, transiently expressed in two stripes lateral to the midline. Expressed in premigratory, but not migratory, cephalic neural crest cells. At stage 20, expressed in the paraxial mesoderm and in the optic vesicle. At stage 21, expression continues in the forebrain and begins in cells lateral to the rostral somites as well as in the neural tissue of the tailbud. By stage 36, detected in restricted regions of the forebrain and in the temporal retina. Caudally, expression continues in the neural tissue of the tailbud. At this stage, there is also strong expression at the caudal (tail) end of the embryo on the ventral side.