Nogo, a star protein in reticulon family

Nogo is widely expressed in higher vertebrate animals. Nogo gene gives rise to multiple isoforms. All the subtypes of Nogo proteins are characterized by a 200-amino-acid C-terminal domain, including two long hydrophobic sequences. Biological functions of Nogo include inhibition of neurite growth from the cell surface via specific receptors, intracellular trafficking, cell division and apoptosis. Here, we briefly review the elementary structure, taxonomic distribution and tissue expression of Nogo, summarize recent discoveries about localization of Nogo and mechanism of action, and discuss the possible functions of Nogo.