title: The amphiregulin gene encodes a novel epidermal growth factor-related protein with tumor-inhibitory activity.
abstract: We have isolated the gene for a novel growth regulator, amphiregulin (AR), that is evolutionarily related to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha). AR is a bifunctional growth modulator: it interacts with the EGF/TGF-alpha receptor to promote the growth of normal epithelial cells and inhibits the growth of certain aggressive carcinoma cell lines. The 84-amino-acid mature protein is embedded within a 252-amino-acid transmembrane precursor, an organization similar to that of the TGF-alpha precursor. Human placenta and ovaries were found to express significant amounts of the 1.4-kilobase AR transcript, implicating AR in the regulation of normal cell growth. In addition, the AR gene was localized to chromosomal region 4q13-4q21, a common breakpoint for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Oncogen, Seattle, Washington 98121.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Plowman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Disteche
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Todaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoyab
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D066258:Amphiregulin; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002894:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C587848:AREG protein, human; D066258:Amphiregulin; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D004247:DNA