Abnormal skeletal and cardiac development cardiomyopathy muscle atrophy and cataracts in mice with a targeted disruption of the Nov (Ccn3) gene

摘要

BackgroundSignals from the extracellular environment control many aspects of cell behaviour including proliferation, survival, differentiation, adhesion and migration. It is increasingly evident that these signals can be modulated by a group of matricellular proteins called the CCN family. CCN proteins have multiple domains through which they regulate the activities of a variety of signalling molecules including TGFβ, BMPs and integrins, thereby influencing a wide range of processes in development and disease. Whilst the developmental roles of CCN1 and CCN2 have been elucidated, very little is known about the function of CCN3 (NOV). To investigate this, we have generated mice carrying a targeted mutation in the Nov gene (Nov^del3) which reveal for the first time its diverse functions in embryos and adults.