Description
Product Characteristics:
Platelet-derived growth factor is a potent mitogen for cells of mesenchymal origin. Binding of this growth factor to its affinity receptor elicits a variety of cellular responses. It is released by platelets upon wounding and plays an important role in stimulating adjacent cells to grow and thereby heal the wound. Antiparallel disulfide-linked dimer of nonidentical (A and B) chains. Homodimers of A and B chains are implicated in transformation processes. The long form contains a basic insert which acts as a cell retention signal. A-A and B-B, as well as A-B, dimers can bind to the PDGF receptor. It belongs to the PDGF/VEGF growth factor family.
Subcellular location: Secreted
Synonyms: PDGFA, PDGF AA, PDGF-AA, PDGF A chain, PDGF subunit A, PDGF-1, PDGF1, PDGFA, PDGFA_HUMAN, Platelet derived growth factor A chain precursor, Platelet derived growth factor alpha polypeptide, Platelet-derived growth factor A chain, Platelet-derived growth factor alpha polypeptide, Platelet-derived growth factor subunit A.
Target Information: The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the platelet-derived growth factor family. The four members of this family are mitogenic factors for cells of mesenchymal origin and are characterized by a motif of eight cysteines. This gene product can exist either as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with the platelet-derived growth factor beta polypeptide, where the dimers are connected by disulfide bonds. Studies using knockout mice have shown cellular defects in oligodendrocytes, alveolar smooth muscle cells, and Leydig cells in the testis\, knockout mice die either as embryos or shortly after birth. Two splice variants have been identified for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]