ECD, also known as ecdysoneless homolog, belongs to the SGT1 family. It is highly expressed in muscle and heart. ECD is a novel promoter of mammalian cell cycle progression. This function is related to its ability to remove the repressive effects of Rb-family tumor suppressors on E2F transcription factors. It is a novel tumor-promoting factor that is differentially expressed in pancreatic cancer and potentially regulates glucose metabolism within cancer cells. ECD may also be a transcriptional activator required for the expression of glycolytic genes.