Description
Description: Transforming growth factor alpha(TGF-alpha) is upregulated in some rabbit cancers. It is produced in macrophages, brain cells, and keratinocytes, and induces epithelial development. It is closely related to EGF, and can also bind to the EGF receptor with similar effects. TGFalpha stimulates neural cell proliferation in the adult injured brain. Transforming growth factor alpha gene(TGFA) maps to rabbit chromosome 2 close to the breakpoint of the t(2; 8) variant translocation in Burkitt lymphoma. Synthetic TGF-alpha was as active as murine epidermal growth factor in binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor and in stimulation of anchorage-dependent and of anchorage-independent growth of normal indicator cells in culture. Synthetic TGF-alpha stimulated plasminogen activator production in A 431 and HeLa cells; the stimulation was similar to that induced by epidermal growth factor. Furthermore, synthetic rabbit TGF-alpha showed similar immunoreactivity when compared with rabbit TGF-alpha. Thus, the 50-amino acid TGF-alpha is likely to be the bioactive principle produced and secreted by tumor cell lines.
Protein Function: TGF alpha is a mitogenic polypeptide that is able to bind to the EGF receptor/EGFR and to act synergistically with TGF beta to promote anchorage-independent cell proliferation in soft agar