POSTN
Description
The POSTN (periostin) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 13.
Periostin (POSTN, PN, or osteoblast-specific factor OSF-2) is a protein encoded by the POSTN gene in humans. It acts as a ligand for alpha-V/beta-3 and alpha-V/beta-5 integrins, supporting epithelial cell adhesion and migration. POSTN is a gla domain vitamin K dependent factor. It is a secreted extracellular matrix protein originally identified in mesenchymal lineage cells (osteoblasts, osteoblast-derived cells, the periodontal ligament, and periosteum). POSTN has been linked to epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer and mesenchyme differentiation in the developing heart. It shares homology with fasciclin I, a secreted cell adhesion molecule found in insects. In many cancers, POSTN binds to integrins on cancer cells, activating the Akt/PKB- and FAK-mediated signaling pathways. This leads to increased cell survival, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In humans and mice, POSTN undergoes alternative splicing in its C-terminal region, resulting in specific isoforms observed in a range of cancers including pancreatic, colon, and breast cancer. While POSTN has diverse roles in tissue development and disease, its function in tissue remodeling as a response to injury is a common underlying theme.
POSTN is also known as OSF-2, OSF2, PDLPOSTN, PN.
