Nucleoside Diphosphate Linked Moiety X-Type Motif 6 (NUDT6)

FGF2 is a highly conserved, multifunctional heparin-binding growth factor involved in neuroectoderm development, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Elevated levels of FGF2 are associated with proliferation of smooth muscle in atherosclerosis and with proliferation of tumors. The FGF2 antisense gene, NUDT6, may regulate FGF2 expression.The deduced 150-amino acid GFG1 protein is 74% identical to the frog antisense protein. Northern blot analysis revealed expression of a 1.5-kb GFG1 transcript in breast cancer cells, but expression was not detected in gliomas. Ubiquitous expression of Gfg1 was found in rat tissues. RT-PCR analysis detected increasing FGF2 levels, but not GFGF1 levels, in glioma cells with increasing cell density, suggesting independent transcription of the 2 factors.