Transcription factors PITX2 and FOXC1 are required for normal migration of peri-ocular mesenchyme cells, and mutations in PITX2 or FOXC1 produce (1) hypoplasia of the iris stroma, holes in the iris, and an eccentric position of the pupil (Rieger anomaly), and/or (2) strands of ectopic tissue in the space between iris and cornea (Axenfeld anomaly). This evidence concerns the gene PITX2 and Rieger anomaly.