Chordin Proteins

This gene encodes a secreted protein that dorsalizes early vertebrate embryonic tissues by binding to ventralizing TGF-beta-like bone morphogenetic proteins and sequestering them in latent complexes. The encoded protein may also have roles in organogenesis and during adulthood. Multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene. Other alternative splice variants have been described but their full length sequence has not been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].