May functionally interact with Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) proteins to repress transcription (Probable). Required for Egfr pathway function and MAPK activity in CNS midline and tracheal placodes and for CNS axon development and tracheal tubule development. Required to establish the primary axon scaffold in the brain and for lateral positioning of longitudinal glia, longitudinal axons and neurons. Required for glial survival. Required to establish the proximo-distal axis of the developing leg and for wing vein and alula development. Required for regenerative growth in leg imaginal disks. Required for the initiation of anterior migration of border cells of the ovary. Expressed in the imaginal disks of the leg and wing. Expressed from precellular blastoderm stages. Expressed in the CNS midline, neuroectoderm, supraoesophogal ganglion and trachea from embryonic stage 9. Expressed in the tracheal placodes from stage 10. Expressed in a subset of posterior glia in the brain and a subset of anterior neurons at stage 11. Expressed in CNS midline cells and segmental ectodermal stripes during stages 12 and 13 and in dorsally positioned midline glia and ventrally positioned midline neurons from stage 14. Expressed in posterior and anterior glia and neurons at stage 15. Induced in ventrally positioned cells in pair-rule ectodermal stripes by expression of sim. Belongs to the AEBP2/jing C2H2-type zinc-finger family.