Endomucin (EMCN)

EMCN is a mucin-like sialoglycoprotein that interferes with the assembly of focal adhesion complexes and inhibits interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix .EMCN contains an N-terminal signal peptide, followed by a uteroglobin homology domain, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase RAS-binding domain, and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. The authors predicted that the N terminus is extracellular and the C terminus is intracellular. EMCN has several sites for N-glycosylation, N-myristoylation, and phosphorylation. Mouse and human EMCN share 49% amino acid homology. Northern blot analysis detected transcripts of 2.0 and 4.4 kb expressed at high levels in heart, kidney, and lung. Expression was minimal in peripheral blood leukocytes and could not be detected in several nonvascular cell lines.