Molecular cloning and expression of human hepatocyte growth factor.
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the most potent mitogen for mature parenchymal hepatocytes in primary culture, and seems to be a hepatotrophic factor that acts as a trigger for liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy and liver injury. The partial purification and characterization of HGF have been reported. We have demonstrated that pure HGF from rat platelets is a new growth factor effective at concentrations as low as 1 ng ml-1. The effects of HGF and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are additive. The activity of HGF is not species-specific, although it does not stimulate growth in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. HGF has a relative molecular mass (Mr) of 82,000 and is a heterodimer composed of a large alpha-subunit of Mr 69,000 and a small beta-subunit of Mr 34,000. Here we report the amino-acid sequence of human HGF determined by complementary DNA cloning and the expression of biologically active human HGF from COS-1 cells transfected with cloned cDNA. The nucleotide sequence of the human HGF cDNA reveals that both alpha- and beta-chains are contained in a single open reading frame coding for a pre-pro precursor protein of 728 amino acids.
Nakamura
T
T
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nishizawa
T
T
Hagiya
M
M
Seki
T
T
Shimonishi
M
M
Sugimura
A
A
Tashiro
K
K
Shimizu
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D005796:Genes; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D051381:Rats; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014162:Transfection
D006133:Growth Substances; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor