May function within the midpoint progenitor population to inhibit neuronal differentiation, possibly through modulating the function of Xash3. First detected in neural plate stage embryos within two domains. In anterior regions of the embryo, expression is detected within a zone at the midline of the neural plate while, in posterior regions, it is expressed in a bilaterally symmetric stripe that lies at the middle of the mediolateral axis. This pattern of expression is maintained throughout neural fold stages of development. Following neural tube closure, expression is maintained in posterior regions of the embryo at the midpoint of the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube. The expression domain apparent at the anterior midline of the neural plate, the presumptive ventral region of the neural tube, is not detectable following neural tube closure. At stages intermediate to stage 20 and stage 28, an anteroposterior striped pattern appears within anterior regions of the embryo. By stage 28, these stripes have coalesced to yield a uniform zone of expression. In anterior regions, expression is largely specific to the dorsal neural tube. Expression in more posterior regions of the embryo remains specific to the midpoint of the dorsoventral axis. This midpoint expression is restricted to the ventricular zone. Belongs to the H2.0 homeobox family.