Discription：TGF-α is an EGF-related polypeptide growth factor that signals through the EGF receptor, and stimulates the proliferation of a wide range of epidermal and epithelial cells. It is produced by monocytes, keratinocytes, and various tumor cells. TGF-α induces anchorage-independence transformation in cultured cells. TGF-alpha binds to the EGF receptor and activates the receptor tyrosine kinase. Accordingly, TGF-alpha shows a similar potency to EGF as a mitogen for fibroblasts and as an inducer of epithelial development in vivo. TGF-alpha is reportedly more potent than EGF as an angiogenic factor in vivo and as a stimulator for keratinocyte migration. The EGF receptor gene represents the cellular homologue of the avian v-erb-B oncogene Human, murine and rat TGF-α are cross-species reactive. Recombinant Human TGF-α is a 51 amino acid polypeptide （5.7kDa） which shares approximately 40％ sequence homology with EGF, including 6 conserved cysteine residues, which form 3 intramolecular disulfide bonds.
