Cell surface proteoglycan that bears heparan sulfate. Putative cell surface coreceptor for growth factors, extracellular matrix proteins, proteases and anti-proteases (By similarity). Enhances migration and invasion of cancer cells through WNT5A signaling. Widely expressed. High expression in fetal kidney and lung and lower expressions in fetal liver and brain. In adult tissues, very abundant in ovary, high levels also observed in liver, kidney, small intestine and colon. Not detected in peripheral blood leukocytes. Detected in breast cancer cells (at protein level). Expression is induced by NFATC2. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Point mutations leading to protein truncation, as well as larger genomic rearrangements resulting in exon deletions, have been found in family segregating omodysplasia type 1. All mutations identified in individuals affected by omodysplasia could lead to the absence of a functional protein, the mutant RNAs being suspected to be nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) targets. Even if the mRNA escapes NMD and is translated, all mutations are expected to disrupt the three-dimensional protein structure and often to abolish multiple highly conserved cysteine residues. Belongs to the glypican family.