The transition of neuronal cells from pre-cursor to mature state is regulated by the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a glutamate-gated ion channel that is permeable to Ca2+. NMDA receptors probably mediate this activity by permitting expression of NARG2. NARG2 is transiently expressed, being a regulatory protein that is present in the nucleus of dividing cells and then down-regulated as progenitors exit the cell cycle and begin to differentiate. NARG2 contains repeats of (S/T)PXX, (11 in mouse , six in human), a putative DNA-binding motif that is found in many gene-regulatory proteins including Kruppel, Hunchback and Antennapedi [1].

1: NARG2 encodes a novel nuclear protein with (S/T)PXX motifs that is expressed during development. Sugiura N, Dadashev V, Corriveau RA; Eur J Biochem. 2004;271:4629-4637. PMID:15606750