Thought to act as molecular guidance cue in cellular migration, and function appears to be mediated by interaction with roundabout homolog receptors. During neural development involved in axonal navigation at the ventral midline of the neural tube and projection of axons to different regions. SLIT1 and SLIT2 together seem to be essential for midline guidance in the forebrain by acting as repulsive signal preventing inappropriate midline crossing by axons projecting from the olfactory bulb (By similarity). Interacts with ROBO1 (By similarity) and GREM1. In adult brains expressed in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and olfactory bulb but not in the cerebellum. In embryo expressed in cerebral cortex. Detected between E15 and E20, between P0 and P10, and in adult in different regions of the telencephalon and diencephalon.