InterPro domain: IPR028472

Members of the eye absent (EYA) family were originally characterised in fly eye development. EYA proteins are both transcriptional activators and tyrosine phosphatases [ 1 , 2 ], and have been shown to dephosphorylate H2AX, promoting repair and cell survival in the response to DNA damage [ 3 ]. EYA proteins (EYA1-4) are normally expressed early in development [ 4 , 5 ]. Their phosphatase activity regulates Six1-Dach-Eya transcriptional effects in precursor cell proliferation and survival in mammalian organogenesis [ 6 ].

1. The transcription factor Eyes absent is a protein tyrosine phosphatase. Nature 426, 299-302
2. The eyes absent family of phosphotyrosine phosphatases: properties and roles in developmental regulation of transcription. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 76, 513-38
3. Tyrosine dephosphorylation of H2AX modulates apoptosis and survival decisions. Nature 458, 591-6
4. A human homologue of the Drosophila eyes absent gene underlies branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome and identifies a novel gene family. Nat. Genet. 15, 157-64
5. EYA4, a novel vertebrate gene related to Drosophila eyes absent. Hum. Mol. Genet. 8, 11-23
6. Eya protein phosphatase activity regulates Six1-Dach-Eya transcriptional effects in mammalian organogenesis. Nature 426, 247-54