What Is Forkhead Box?

FOX proteins are a family of transcription factors that play important roles in regulating the expression of genes involved in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and longevity. Many FOX proteins are important to embryonic development.

What kind of protein is foxo?

FOXO proteins are a subgroup of the Forkhead family of transcription factors. This family is characterized by a conserved DNA-binding domain (the 'Forkhead box', or FOX) and comprises more than 100 members in humans, classified from FOXA to FOXR on the basis of sequence similarity.

How is FOXO1 activated?

When the level of blood glucose is high, the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin then causes the activation of PI3K, which subsequently phosphorylates Akt. Akt then phosphorylates FOXO1, causing nuclear exclusion. This phosphorylated FOXO1 is then ubiquitinated and degraded by the proteosome.