Recombinant Human WISP-1 (carrier-free)

WNT1 inducible signaling protein (WISP) is a protein subfamily that belongs to the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) family. This family includes connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), cysteine-rich-61 (CYR61), and nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV). CTGF is a family that is cysteine-rich, carries four conserved domains from N- to C-terminus: insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) domain, von Willebrand type C repeats (vWC) domain, thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) domain, and a C-terminal domain (CT) with a cysteine knot motif. CTGF family is comprised of several extracellular matrix associated proteins that contribute to cell adhesion, migration, and wound repair.

CTGF family member WISP-1, like WISP-2, and WISP-3, is a secreted extracellular matrix associated signaling protein that plays an important role in vessel formation, and bone and cartilage development. WISP-1 stimulates mesenchymal cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation. It is a downstream regulator of Wnt/Frizzled signaling that mediates various developmental processes and thus was identified as an oncogene modulated by the Wnt-1-β-catenin pathway. It is also known that WISP-1 is involved in prevention of late stage p53-mediated cell death and elevates expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-xL. WISP-1 overexpression, on the other hand, is associated with tumor formation due to its critical roles in early stage cellular proliferation and survival through phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) and protein kinase B (Akt) pathways.