Nidogens, formerly known as entactins, are a family of sulfated monomeric glycoproteins located in the basal lamina[1] of parahoxozoans.
[3] Remarkably, vertebrates are still capable of stabilizing basement membrane in the absence of either identified nidogen.
[4] In contrast, those lacking both nidogen-1 and nidogen-2 typically die prematurely during embryonic development as a result of defects existing in the heart and lungs.
[6] Insufficient levels of nidogen in mice causes poorly developed organs such as the lungs and heart, which ultimately ensues to an early death.
[8] From an evolutionary perspective, nidogens are highly conserved across vertebrates and invertebrates, retaining their ability to bind laminin.