Transforming growth factor-alpha: an oncodevelopmental growth factor.
Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is a 50-amino-acid mitogenic peptide that is structurally and, in some cases, functionally related to members of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family of peptides. TGF-alpha is initially synthesized as a high-molecular-weight, glycosylated, membrane-associated precursor of approximately 160 amino acids. The low-molecular-weight TGF-alpha peptide as well as the precursor are biologically active in a number of systems and can function as transforming proteins when overexpressed. TGF-alpha binds to and activates the EGF receptor, and TGF-alpha and the EGF receptor are coexpressed in a number of human and rodent tumors and tumor cell lines--which suggests that TGF-alpha can function as an autocrine or paracrine growth factor. TGF-alpha is transiently expressed in some fetal and adjacent maternal tissues during development and is also expressed in a number of adult tissues; this pattern of expression suggests that the growth factor is involved in several distinct physiological functions.
Salomon
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Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Kim
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N
Saeki
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Ciardiello
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F
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors