Transcription factor involved in the control of neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the brain (PubMed:18033766, PubMed:20510857). Regulates dendrite development and branching, dendritic spine formation, and synaptogenesis in cortical layers II-III (PubMed:20510857). Binds to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Restricted to neural tissues. Expressed exclusively in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Knockout mice show moderately but consistently bigger brains than wild-type animals. Cell density and thickness of upper cortical layers (II-IV) are increased, while there are no differences in neuronal density in layers V and VI (PubMed:18033766). Neurons in layer II-III show simpler morphologies, with a significant decrease in the dendritic length and the number of branches, as well as a severe reduction of dendritic spines density associated with synaptic defects. The working memory is impaired (PubMed:20510857). Belongs to the CUT homeobox family.