title: Immunochemical study of a transforming growth factor-alpha-related protein in the chicken kidney.
abstract: A number of polypeptides are involved in renal growth and physiology. Both transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) protein and mRNA are expressed in kidney cells during embryonic and adult stages, and exert mitogenic activity on kidney cells in culture. We studied the immunolocalization of a TGF-alpha-related protein at the ultra-structural level and found it in the basolateral membranes of dark cells from distal tubules of the chicken kidney. By Western blotting techniques, we identified a protein complex composed of a least two TGF-alpha immunoreactive subunits of 40 and 88 kDa, respectively. Both subunits were sensitive to elastase digestion, and released TGF-alpha immunoreactive products. In addition, TGF-alpha immunoreaction was found in primary culture of chicken kidney cells. These findings suggest that the TGF-alpha-related protein complex plays a very specific role in proliferation and/or differentiation of kidney cells.
authors.affiliation: Department de Biologia Cellular i Anatomia Patològica, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díaz-Ruiz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asbert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Tomás
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002645:Chickens; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha