Immediate-early protein likely to play a role in cell growth regulation. Its overexpression is associated with tumorigenesis and expression of a N-terminal-truncated version of CCN3 gene in chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEF) is sufficient to induce the transformation of CEF in vitro. Brain and heart, and at a lower level in muscle and intestine, in the embryo. Lung and less so in brain and spleen, in adult chicken. MAV1-induced nephroblastomas express a high level of NOV gene whose transcription is normally arrested in adult kidney. Belongs to the CCN family.