Dbx1 homeodomain transcription factor is expressed in progenitors at the boundary between the dorsal and ventral plates of the caudal neural tube, from which postmitotic cells migrate tangentially to their final destination. Dbx1 is implicated in patterning the central nervous system during embryogenesis. Cell fate allocation and cell diversity are determined at very early stages in progenitor cells at precise coordinates along the dorsoventral and anteroposterior axis. In the spinal cord, the spatially restricted expression of Dbx1 in progenitors is critical in establishing interneuron cell fates and helps coordinate diverse phenotypic features. In the telencephalon, Dbx1 is expressed in restricted progenitor domains at the borders of the developing pallium.