CHURC1, also known as protein Churchill, is a 112 amino acid protein that plays a critical role in neural induction during embryogenesis. The fibroblast growth family of proteins (FGFs) has been identified as necessary factors in mesoderm formation and neural induction. CHURC1, a putative zinc finger protein, is a transcriptional activator that mediates FGF signaling. Furthermore, CHURC1 is thought to play a role in the regulation of cell movement. Although CHURC1 does not bind to DNA, it functions as a transcriptional regulator and a protein-interaction factor. Two isoforms of CHURC1 exist as a result of alternative splicing events.
