该基因编码一个转录因子，在C端含有四个锌指基序，在N端含有富含脯氨酸/谷氨酰胺的DNA结合域。它在泌尿生殖系统的正常发育中起着重要作用，并且在一小部分Wilms肿瘤患者中发生突变。该基因表现出复杂的组织特异性和多态性印记模式，在不同组织中有来自母系和父系等位基因的双等位基因和单等位基因表达。已经描述了多种转录变体。在一些变体中，有证据表明使用了非aug（cug）翻译起始密码子上游和与第一个aug的框架中。pmid:7926762的作者也提供了证据，证明wt1 mRNA在人和大鼠中进行了RNA编辑，并且这一过程受组织限制和发育调节。
This gene encodes a transcription factor that contains four zinc-finger motifs at the C-terminus and a proline/glutamine-rich DNA-binding domain at the N-terminus. It has an essential role in the normal development of the urogenital system, and it is mutated in a small subset of patients with Wilms tumor. This gene exhibits complex tissue-specific and polymorphic imprinting pattern, with biallelic, and monoallelic expression from the maternal and paternal alleles in different tissues. Multiple transcript variants have been described. In several variants, there is evidence for the use of a non-AUG (CUG) translation initiation codon upstream of, and in-frame with the first AUG. Authors of PMID:7926762 also provide evidence that WT1 mRNA undergoes RNA editing in human and rat, and that this process is tissue-restricted and developmentally regulated.