Osteoglycin (also called mimecan) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OGN gene. This gene encodes a protein which induces ectopic bone formation in conjunction with transforming growth factor beta. This protein is a small proteoglycan which contains tandem leucine-rich repeats (LRR). The level of expression of this gene has been correlated with enlarged hearts and more specifically left ventricular hypertrophy. Mimecan belongs to a family of small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs). The mimecan gene was expressed at a moderate level in the mouse pituitary gland by Northern blot analysis. Expression of mimecan mRNA and protein is also observed in the human anterior pituitary gland. The OGN gene was mapped to chromosome 9q22.
