Description
VEGFC, also known as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Related Protein (VRP), is a recently discovered VEGF growth factor family member that is most closely related to VEGFD. The human VEGFC cDNA encodes a pre-pro-protein of 416 amino acids residues. It is almost identical to the mouse VEGFC protein. Similar to VEGFD, VEGFC has a VEGF homology domain spanning the middle third of the precursor molecule and long N- and C-terminal extensions. In adults, VEGFC is highly expressed in heart, placenta, ovary and small intestine. Recombinant human VEGFC, lacking the N- and C-terminal extensions and containing only the middle VEGF homology domain, forms primarily non-covalently linked dimers. This protein is a ligand for both VEGFR2/KDR and VEGFR3/FLT4. Since VEGFR3 is strongly expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells, it has been postulated that VEGFC is involved in the regulation of the growth and/or differentiation of lymphatic endothelium. Although recombinant human VEGFC is also a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells, it is much less potent than VEGFA