The members of this family are sequences similar to the C-terminal region of RTP801, the protein product of a hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1)- responsive gene [1]. Two members of this family expressed by Drosophila melanogaster, Scylla (Swiss:Q9NHN4) and Charybde (Swiss:Q9NHN5), are designated by the GenBank as Hox targets [1]. RTP801 is thought to be involved in various cellular processes [1]. Its overexpression caused the apoptosis- resistant phenotype in cycling cells, and apoptosis sensitivity in growth arrested cells [1]. Moreover, the protein product of the mouse homolog of RTP801 (dig2 (Swiss:Q9D3F7)) is thought to be induced by diverse apoptotic signals, and also by dexamethasone treatment [2].

1: Identification of a novel hypoxia-inducible factor 1-responsive gene, RTP801, involved in apoptosis. Shoshani T, Faerman A, Mett I, Zelin E, Tenne T, Gorodin S, Moshel Y, Elbaz S, Budanov A, Chajut A, Kalinski H, Kamer I, Rozen A, Mor O, Keshet E, Leshkowitz D, Einat P, Skaliter R, Feinstein E; Mol Cell Biol 2002;22:2283-2293. PMID:11884613

2: Dexamethasone-induced gene 2 (dig2) is a novel pro-survival stress gene induced rapidly by diverse apoptotic signals. Wang Z, Malone MH, Thomenius MJ, Zhong F, Xu F, Distelhorst CW; J Biol Chem 2003;278:27053-27058. PMID:12736248