Potential transcription factor. May mediate some of the neuroprotective peptide VIP-associated effects involving normal growth and cancer proliferation. Expressed in the brain, with a higher expression in cerebellum and hippocampus. Weakly expressed in lung, kidney and intestine, and expressed at intermediate level in testis. By the neuroprotective peptide VIP. When isolated from the sequence, the neuroprotective peptide provides neuroprotection at subfemtomolar concentrations against toxicity associated with tetrodoxin (electrical blockade), the amyloid-beta peptide (the Alzheimer disease neurotoxin), N-methyl-aspartate (excitotoxicity), and the human immunideficiency virus (HIV) envelope protein.