Invitrogen™ Nova-2 Polyclonal Antibody

Paraneoplastic opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia (POMA) is a neurologic disorder thought to be mediated by an autoimmune attack against onconeural disease antigens that are expressed by gynecologic or lung tumors and by neurons. Nova-1 and -2 are both POMA disease antigens. The autoimmune attack against Nova-2 in POMA patients results in latent cancer, reduced inhibitory control of movements, and dementia. Nova-2 is closely related to Nova-1, and is expressed at high levels in neurons during development and at lower levels in the adult lung. In the postnatal mouse brain, Nova-2 is expressed in a pattern that is largely reciprocal with Nova-1, including high levels of Nova-2 expression in the neocortex and hippocampus. Both Novas are RNA binding proteins, and Nova-2 binds RNA with high affinity and with sequence specificity that differs from Nova-1. They regulate neuronal pre-messenger RNA splicing by directly binding to RNA. Nova-2 target genes function either in the synapse or in axon guidance indicating that Nova-2 is a major regulator of synaptic function.