This invention provides isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences encoding VG5Q, a novel angiogenic growth factor protein with pro-angiogenic activity, a forkhead-associated domain, a G-patch domain characteristic subcellular localization in an in vitro Matrigel model of angiogenesis: towards the cell periphery in early stages of tubulogenesis, between cells in newly formed endothelial tubes, and no nuclear staining after 24 hours is expressed in endothelial cells is secreted during angiogenesis and interacts with TWEAK. The invention also provides for expression vectors containing nucleic acid sequences encoding VG5Q protein, and host cells containing one or more expression vectors for the recombinant expression of VG5Q. The invention also provides for methods of using VG5Q for the diagnosis and treatment of angiogenesis-mediated diseases or disorders.
