Hormone that acts as a regulator of dendritic growth in the developing cerebral cortex in response to sensory experience . Induced in the brain following membrane depolarization and inhibits dendritic branching in neurons of the developing cortex . Probably acts by binding to natriuretic peptide receptor NPR3/NPR-C, thereby preventing binding between NPR3/NPR-C and natriuretic peptides, leading to increase cGMP production (By similarity).
Subcellular locations: Secreted
Enriched in neocortical regions of the developing cerebral cortex . Not expressed in other compartments of the neocortical wall or in brain regions such as the hippocampus, striatum, mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus and cerebellum . Also expressed in bone . In developing neonatal rib bone, present at high level in osteoblasts on bone-forming surfaces, in newly incorporated osteocytes and in some late hypertrophic chondrocytes (at protein level) . In adult bone, localizes specifically to osteoblasts and young osteocytes at bone-forming sites (at protein level) .