Nephroblastoma Overexpressed Gene (NOV)

NOV is a small secreted cysteine-rich protein and a member of the CCN family of regulatory proteins. CNN family proteins associate with the extracellular matrix and play an important role in cardiovascular and skeletal development, fibrosis and cancer development.It is a member of the CCN family of proteins that includes connective tissue growth factor.  The proteins share several common structural motifs: a consensus sequence present in IGF (insulin-like growth factor)-binding proteins (the IGFBP motif), an oligomeric complex-forming domain first identified in von Willebrand factor (VWF), a binding domain to soluble and matrix molecules, and a dimerization (CT) domain. All CCN family members are thought to be involved in the control of cell proliferation.