Plays an important role in bone formation and normal bone mineralization. Promotes the differentiation of myoblasts into osteoblasts . May induce the commitment and differentiation of myoblasts into osteoblasts through an enhancement of BMP2 production and interaction with the BMP-RUNX2 pathway. Upregulates the expression of ATF4, a transcription factor which plays a central role in osteoblast differentiation. Essential for normal spermatogenesis and late testicular differentiation (By similarity).
Background References
1. Kanamoto T. et. al. Isolation and characterization of a novel plasma membrane protein, osteoblast induction factor (obif), associated with osteoblast differentiation. BMC Dev. Biol. 9:70-70(2009).