Ang - angiogenin, ribonuclease, RNase A family, 5

This gene encodes a member of the pancreatic ribonuclease A superfamily and is a potent inducer of neovascularization. The encoded protein is a secreted multifunctional tRNA-specific ribonuclease that promotes angiogenesis in response to angiogenetic stimuli such as hypoxia, mediates stress-induced translational repression by cleaving cellular tRNAs, stimulates cell proliferation by mediating rRNA transcription in prostate cancer cells, and is involved in neurite pathfinding. This gene resides in a cluster of highly related genes. It shares dual promoters and 5' exons with the ribonuclease, RNase A family 4 gene. Two alternatively spliced variants, with different 5' exons but the same coding exon, have been identified. Multiple pseudogenes have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jun 2009]