Description
TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cytokine family and induces rapid apoptosis in a wide variety of tumor cell lines upon binding to the death-signalling receptors on the cell membrane. TRAIL binds to one of four receptors that have been identified in humans, including TRAIL-R1/DR4, TRAIL-R2/KILLER/DR5, TRAIL-R3/DcR1/TRID, and TRAIL-R4/DcR2/TRUNDD. Both DR4 and DR5 are pro-apoptotic receptors, which contain a cytoplasmic death domain and mediate apoptosis on binding to TRAIL. By contrast, TRID and TRUNDD do not contain a cytoplasmic death domain and block the function of TRAIL by competing with DR4 and DR5 for binding of TRAIL. Recombinant human TRAIL was expressed in E Coli and purified by using conventional chromatography techniques