GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:2464

VCAN

versican

protein-coding gene5q14.2-q14.3Gene information

What does this gene do?

The VCAN gene provides instructions for making a protein called versican. Versican is a type of protein known as a proteoglycan, which means it has several sugar molecules attached to it. Versican is found in the extracellular matrix of many different tissues and organs. The extracellular matrix is the intricate lattice of proteins and other molecules that forms in the spaces between cells. Versican interacts with many proteins and molecules to facilitate the assembly of the extracellular matrix and ensure its stability. Within the eye, versican interacts with other proteins to maintain the structure and gel-like consistency of the thick clear fluid that fills the eyeball (the vitreous).

Researchers have proposed several additional functions for versican. This protein likely helps regulate cell growth and division, the attachment of cells to one another (cell adhesion), and cell movement (migration). Studies suggest that versican plays a role in forming new blood vessels (angiogenesis), wound healing, inflammation, and preventing the growth of cancerous tumors. Versican also regulates the activity of several growth factors, which control a diverse range of processes important for cell growth.

Four different versions (isoforms) of the versican protein are produced from the VCAN gene. These isoforms (called V0, V1, V2, and V3) vary by size and by their location within the body.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2020-08-18. Source review: 2010-01.

ClinGen reviews

ClinGen reviews the evidence linking a particular gene to a condition. Each rating below describes the strength of that link. It does not classify a variant in your DNA file.

Condition	Inheritance	Evidence
Wagner diseaseMONDO:0007740 · Evaluated 2021-07-26	Autosomal dominant	DefinitiveRetina Gene Curation Expert Panel

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles: 2,661
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene: 4,089
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene: 3,915
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic: 24
VariationIDs with uncertain significance: 1,597
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications: 193

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about VCAN?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 24 alleles in VCAN reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in VCAN.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

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