| Name | upper zone of growth plate and cartilage matrix associated |
| Description | This gene encodes a chondrocyte-specific, highly charged protein that is abundantly expressed in the upper immature zone of fetal and juvenile epiphyseal cartilage. The encoded protein undergoes proteolytic processing to generate a mature protein that is secreted into the extracellular matrix. The glutamic acid residues in the encoded protein undergo gamma carboxylation in a vitamin K-dependent manner. Undercarboxylation of the encoded protein is associated with osteoarthritis in humans. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2015] |
| Summary |
{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nUnique cartilage matrix‐associated protein (UCMA) is a small, highly conserved, vitamin K‐dependent protein predominantly expressed in resting chondrocytes of the growth plate. Initial studies in developing long bones demonstrated that UCMA is encoded by a cartilage‐specific gene and is expressed uniquely in the distal cartilage zones during early chondrocyte differentiation, suggesting an important role in endochondral ossification and skeletal formation."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nFurther investigations revealed that UCMA is secreted as an uncleaved precursor that undergoes processing by a furin‐like protease into an N‐terminal peptide and a C‐terminal fragment. The processed C‐terminal fragment may then diffuse throughout the cartilage matrix, implying a modulatory function on the fate of osteochondrogenic precursor cells by interfering with osteogenic differentiation at the cartilage–bone interface."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nAdditional reports have identified UCMA, which is also referred to as Gla‐rich protein (GRP), at sites of pathological calcification, including regions of cartilage and vascular tissues. Its accumulation in these regions supports a potential role in modulating extracellular matrix mineral deposition and calcification processes."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nMore recently, studies in triple‐negative breast cancer models have shown that UCMA overexpression significantly inhibits cellular migration, invasion, and colony formation, ultimately reducing in vivo tumor growth. These findings, together with clinical correlations demonstrating improved relapse‐free survival in patients with elevated UCMA expression, suggest that UCMA may serve as a promising therapeutic agent linking cartilage biology to anti‐tumorigenic and anti‐calcification functions."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Andreas Tagariello, Julia Luther, Melanie Streiter, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ucma--A novel secreted factor represents a highly specific marker for distal chondrocytes."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Matrix Biol (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.matbio.2007.07.004"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2007.07.004"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17707622"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17707622"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cordula Surmann-Schmitt, Uwe Dietz, Trayana Kireva, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ucma, a novel secreted cartilage-specific protein with implications in osteogenesis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Biol Chem (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1074/jbc.M702792200"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M702792200"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18156182"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18156182"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Abdimajid Osman, Fredrik Uhlin, Ebba Frånlund, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exon resequencing of the gene encoding UCma/GRP reveals a common carboxy-terminal 138Thr > Ser polymorphism."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Clin Lab (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.7754/clin.lab.2013.130123"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.7754/clin.lab.2013.130123"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24409676"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24409676"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Seung-Hoon Lee, Yeon-Ju Lee, Serk In Park, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Unique cartilage matrix-associated protein inhibits the migratory and invasive potential of triple-negative breast cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.114"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.114"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32768190"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32768190"}]}]}]}
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| Synonyms | C10ORF49, GRP/UCMA |
| Proteins | UCMA_HUMAN |
| NCBI Gene ID | 221044 |
| API | |
| Download Associations | |
| Predicted Functions |
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| Co-expressed Genes |
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| Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines |
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UCMA has 2,737 functional associations with biological entities spanning 7 categories (molecular profile, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, chemical, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA, sequence feature) extracted from 75 datasets.
Click the + buttons to view associations for UCMA from the datasets below.
If available, associations are ranked by standardized value
| Dataset | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles | tissue samples with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray | tissue samples with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset. | |
| Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | cell types and tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | cell types and tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles | cell lines with high or low copy number of UCMA gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset. | |
| CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles | cell lines with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations | cell types associated with UCMA gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset. | |
| ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles | transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of UCMA gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset. | |
| ChEA Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors binding the promoter of UCMA gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 | transcription factors binding the promoter of UCMA gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores | cellular components containing UCMA protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components containing UCMA protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores | cellular components co-occuring with UCMA protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components co-occuring with UCMA protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles | cell lines with high or low copy number of UCMA gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset. | |
| COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles | cell lines with UCMA gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset. | |
| CTD Gene-Disease Associations | diseases associated with UCMA gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset. | |
| DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency | cell lines with fitness changed by UCMA gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset. | |
| DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores | diseases co-occuring with UCMA gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 | diseases co-occuring with UCMA gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations | diseases associated with UCMA gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset. | |
| DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations | phenotypes associated with UCMA gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset. | |
| ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles | histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at UCMA gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset. | |
| ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles | transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of UCMA gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset. | |
| ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors binding the promoter of UCMA gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells | PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing UCMA from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset. | |
| GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations | biological terms co-occuring with UCMA gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset. | |
| GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures | PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing UCMA from the GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations | gene perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Kinase Perturbations | kinase perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Kinase Perturbations dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules | small molecule perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset. | |
| GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Transcription Factor Perturbations | transcription factor perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Transcription Factor Perturbations dataset. | |
| GO Biological Process Annotations 2015 | biological processes involving UCMA gene from the curated GO Biological Process Annotations 2015 dataset. | |
| GO Biological Process Annotations 2023 | biological processes involving UCMA gene from the curated GO Biological Process Annotations 2023 dataset. | |
| GO Biological Process Annotations 2025 | biological processes involving UCMA gene from the curated GO Biological Process Annotations2025 dataset. | |
| GO Cellular Component Annotations 2015 | cellular components containing UCMA protein from the curated GO Cellular Component Annotations 2015 dataset. | |
| GO Cellular Component Annotations 2025 | cellular components containing UCMA protein from the curated GO Cellular Component Annotations 2025 dataset. | |
| GO Molecular Function Annotations 2023 | molecular functions performed by UCMA gene from the curated GO Molecular Function Annotations 2023 dataset. | |
| GO Molecular Function Annotations 2025 | molecular functions performed by UCMA gene from the curated GO Molecular Function Annotations 2025 dataset. | |
| GTEx eQTL 2025 | SNPs regulating expression of UCMA gene from the GTEx eQTL 2025 dataset. | |
| GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissues from the GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles 2023 | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissues from the GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles 2023 dataset. | |
| GWAS Catalog SNP-Phenotype Associations 2025 | phenotypes associated with UCMA gene in GWAS datasets from the GWAS Catalog SNP-Phenotype Associations 2025 dataset. | |
| HPA Tissue Protein Expression Profiles | tissues with high or low expression of UCMA protein relative to other tissues from the HPA Tissue Protein Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| HuGE Navigator Gene-Phenotype Associations | phenotypes associated with UCMA gene by text-mining GWAS publications from the HuGE Navigator Gene-Phenotype Associations dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets 2025 | transcription factors regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Mouse Transcription Factor Targets 2025 | transcription factors regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Mouse Transcription Factor Targets 2025 dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| Klijn et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 2015 Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles | cell lines with high or low copy number of UCMA gene relative to other cell lines from the Klijn et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 2015 Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset. | |
| KnockTF Gene Expression Profiles with Transcription Factor Perturbations | transcription factor perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the KnockTF Gene Expression Profiles with Transcription Factor Perturbations dataset. | |
| LOCATE Predicted Protein Localization Annotations | cellular components predicted to contain UCMA protein from the LOCATE Predicted Protein Localization Annotations dataset. | |
| MiRTarBase microRNA Targets | microRNAs targeting UCMA gene in low- or high-throughput microRNA targeting studies from the MiRTarBase microRNA Targets dataset. | |
| MotifMap Predicted Transcription Factor Targets | transcription factors regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the MotifMap Predicted Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| NIBR DRUG-seq U2OS MoA Box Gene Expression Profiles | drug perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the NIBR DRUG-seq U2OS MoA Box dataset. | |
| PerturbAtlas Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations | gene perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the PerturbAtlas Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations dataset. | |
| PerturbAtlas Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Mouse Gene Perturbations | gene perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the PerturbAtlas Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations dataset. | |
| PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2023 | pathways involving UCMA protein from the PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2023 dataset. | |
| PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2024 | pathways involving UCMA protein from the Wikipathways PFOCR 2024 dataset. | |
| Reactome Pathways 2024 | pathways involving UCMA protein from the Reactome Pathways 2024 dataset. | |
| Roadmap Epigenomics Cell and Tissue DNA Methylation Profiles | cell types and tissues with high or low DNA methylation of UCMA gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the Roadmap Epigenomics Cell and Tissue DNA Methylation Profiles dataset. | |
| Roadmap Epigenomics Histone Modification Site Profiles | histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at UCMA gene from the Roadmap Epigenomics Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset. | |
| RummaGEO Drug Perturbation Signatures | drug perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the RummaGEO Drug Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Tabula Sapiens Gene-Cell Associations | cell types with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other cell types from the Tabula Sapiens Gene-Cell Associations dataset. | |
| Tahoe Therapeutics Tahoe 100M Perturbation Atlas | drug perturbations changing expression of UCMA gene from the Tahoe Therapeutics Tahoe 100M Perturbation Atlas dataset. | |
| TargetScan Predicted Conserved microRNA Targets | microRNAs regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using conserved miRNA seed sequences from the TargetScan Predicted Conserved microRNA Targets dataset. | |
| TargetScan Predicted Nonconserved microRNA Targets | microRNAs regulating expression of UCMA gene predicted using nonconserved miRNA seed sequences from the TargetScan Predicted Nonconserved microRNA Targets dataset. | |
| TCGA Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Tumors | tissue samples with high or low expression of UCMA gene relative to other tissue samples from the TCGA Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Tumors dataset. | |
| TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores | tissues with high expression of UCMA protein from the TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues with high expression of UCMA protein from the TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores | tissues co-occuring with UCMA protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores dataset. | |
| TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues co-occuring with UCMA protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
