Pancortin, a member of a diverse family of secreted glycoproteins, is implicated in the development of the
nervous system, and the glaucoma-associated protein
myocilin (1).
Studies suggest that Pancortin-2 interact with WAVE1 in
a novel cell death cascade in adult, but not embryonic,
cerebral cortical neurons. Specifically pancortin-2 is a
mediator of ischemia-induced apoptosis of neurons in the
adult cerebral cortex, and functions in a novel
mitochondrial/actin associated protein complex that
sequesters Bcl-xL (2).
It is also involved in the generation of neural crest cells,
and in neurogenesis (3-4).