Neurocalcin family: a novel calcium-binding protein abundant in bovine central nervous system.

We purified and sequenced from bovine brain a novel calcium-binding protein. This protein which we named neurocalcin has 3 putative EF hand motifs and a close homology with recoverin which activates guanylate cyclase Ca2+ dependently. Neurocalcin has at least 6 isoforms and is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), retina and adrenal gland. Considering unique distribution of neurocalcin, this protein may an important physiological role which differs from that of visinin or recoverin.