Oncomodulin (OCM)

Oncomodulin and parvalbumin are structurally closely related, high-affinity calcium ion-binding proteins. Both belong to the superfamily of calmodulin proteins, also termed EF-hand proteins. Intron/exon organizations of the parvalbumin and oncomodulin genes are identical and the coding sequences are moderately similar, suggesting a common ancestor. Oncomodulin is a an oncodevelopmental protein found in early embryonic cells, in the placenta, and in tumors; parvalbumin is synthesized at highest levels in muscle fibers of the IIB type and in most GABAergic cells of the brain.

Analysis of human-mouse hybrids retaining portions of human chromosome 7 allowed specific assignment of the gene locus to 7p13-p11.the oncomodulin gene map to mouse chromosome 5.