{"title":"Transforming growth factor-alpha: an oncodevelopmental growth factor.","authors":"D S Salomon, N Kim, T Saeki, F Ciardiello","doi":"","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":77504,"journal":{"name":"Cancer cells (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. : 1989)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"1990-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cancer cells (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. : 1989)","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
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.