Neuro Oncological Ventral Antigen 2 (NOVA2)

The deduced 492-amino acid protein is 99% identical to the mouse protein and 75% identical to NOVA1, with 98% identity in the 3 RNA-binding KH domains. Western blot analysis showed strong expression of a 75-kD protein in mouse brain, with much lower expression in lung and no expression in other tissues. Functional analysis showed that both Nova1 and Nova2 bind to similar RNA ligands with high affinity.

This polymorphism has a dramatic effect on the proportions of neonate and adult alternative transcripts of SCN1A in adult brain tissue, and the effect of the polymorphism appeared to be modified by NOVA2 expression levels. No effect was observed of NOVA2 on the alternative splicing of 17 other neuronally expressed genes.