Abstract: CCN1 is a novel extracellular matrix-associated signaling protein which possesses 381 amino-acid residues to compose 4 distinct structural modules with 38 conserved cysteine residues.This protein has a variety of properties in cardiovascular system, affecting the cellular behaviors such as differentiation, proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes, suggesting an essential roles of CCN1 in angiogensis, vascular injury, cardiac development and myocardial infarction.

Key words: CYR61, CCN1, cardiovascular