New insight into CCN3 interactions - Nuclear CCN3 : fact or fantasy?

The identification of potential partners for CCN3(NOV) sheds new light on the biological activity of this signaling protein. In particular, the physical interaction of CCN3 with the IL33 cytokine combined with previous data indicating that CCN3 expression was regulated by TNFalpha and IL1 cytokines, point to CCN3 as a potent player in a variety of inflammatory responses, including neurodegenerative disease, and arthritis. Nuclear proteins that are involved in the regulation of RNA processing and chromatin remodeling were also found to interact with CCN3. These observations reinforce the concept that routing of CCN3 to the cell nucleus where it acts as a transcription regulator, might constitute a key element in the balance between the anti- and pro-proliferative activities of CCN3 proteins.