Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) is a matricellular preproprotein controlled by proteolytic activation.

ABSTRACT: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF; now often referred to as CCN2) is a secreted protein predominantly expressed during development, in various pathological conditions that involve enhanced fibrogenesis and tissue fibrosis, and in several cancers and is currently an emerging target in several early-phase clinical trials. Tissues containing high CCN2 activities often display smaller degradation products of full-length CCN2 (FL-CCN2). Interpretation of these observations is complicated by the fact that a uniform protein structure that defines biologically active CCN2 has not yet been resolved. Here, using DG44 CHO cells engineered to produce and secrete FL-CCN2 and cell signaling and cell physiological activity assays, we demonstrate that FL-CCN2 is itself an inactive precursor and that a

SUBMITTER: Kaasboll OJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6240875 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature