| GRF | gastrin-releasing factor; genetically related macrophage factor; gonadotropin-releasing factor; grow... |
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| AS | acetylstrophanthidin; acidified serum; acoustic schwannoma; acoustic stimulation; active sarcoidosis... |
| PDGF-B | Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-B |
| AMDGF | alveolar macrophage-derived growth factor |
| FDGF | fibroblast-derived growth factor |
| receptors, growth factor | Cell surface receptors that bind growth or trophic factors with high affinity, triggering intracellular responses which influence the growth, differentiation, or survival of cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| receptors, insulin-like-growth factor I | Specific proteins on or in cells to which insulin-like growth factor I (somatomedin c) binds and thereby modifies the function of the cells. These receptors contain transmembrane and cytosolic domains, bind igf-I preferentially, and have high-affinity sites for igf-II. The alpha-subunit has a mw of 130 kD and the beta subunit possesses tyrosine kinase activity. (12 Dec 1998) |
| receptors, insulin-like-growth-factor II | Specific proteins on or in cells to which insulin-like growth factor II and mannose-6-phosphate bind and thereby modify the function of the cells. These receptors have a mw of 250 kD and possess no tyrosine kinase activity. (12 Dec 1998) |
| receptors, nerve growth factor | Cell surface receptors that bind nerve growth factor (ngf) and trigger intracellular changes influencing the behaviour of cells. Nerve growth factor receptors mediate the effects of nerve growth factor on the survival and growth of neurons. (12 Dec 1998) |
| receptors, transforming growth factor beta | Cell-surface proteins that bind transforming growth factor beta and trigger changes influencing the behaviour of cells. Two types of transforming growth factor receptors have been recognised. They differ in affinity for different members of the transforming growth factor beta family and in cellular mechanisms of action. Transforming growth factor alpha binds to the same receptors as epidermal growth factor (see receptors, epidermal growth factor-urogastrone). (12 Dec 1998) |
| growth factor | <biochemistry> A complex family of polypeptide hormones or biological factors that are produced by the body to control growth, division and maturation of blood cells by the bone marrow. They regulate the division and proliferation of cells and influence the growth rate of some cancers. These factors occur naturally but some can be synthesised using molecular biology techniques and are used clinically to stimulate normal white cell production following chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. Examples include epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor. Insulin and somatomedin are also growth factors, the status of nerve growth factor is more uncertain. Perturbation of growth factor production or of the response to growth factor is important in neoplastic transformation. (29 Sep 1997) |
| growth hormone-releasing factor | <endocrinology> Peptide hormone related to the glucagon family, released from the pituitary, acts on the adenohypophysis to release growth hormone. Synonym: somatoliberin, growth hormone-releasing factor. (20 Sep 2002) |
| sarcoma growth factor | <growth factor> Polypeptide released by sarcoma cells that promotes the growth of cells by binding to a cell surface receptor, the sarcoma cell is therefore self sufficient and independent of normal growth control. See: growth factors. The name is no longer commonly used. (18 Nov 1997) |
| heparin binding growth factor | <growth factor> Acidic fibroblast growth factor (alpha FGF, HBGF 1) and basic FGF (beta FGF, HBGF 2) are the two founder members of a family of structurally related growth factors for mesodermal or neuroectodermal cells. Synonym: heparin binding growth factor. Acronym: FGF (18 Nov 1997) |
| hepatocyte growth factor | <growth factor> Polypeptide mitogen originally shown to cause cell division in hepatocytes. In the liver, the main sources of hepatocyte growth factor are nonparenchymal cells. It is now clear that hepatocyte growth factor is a mitogen for a number of cell types and it is found in many cells outside the liver, including platelets. Hepatocyte growth factor is synthesised as a single chain precursor that is proteolytically cleaved to give a heavy chain (70 kD) and a light chain (30 kD) linked by a single disulphide bond. It contains multiple copies of the kringle domain. However, both the single chain precursor and the two chain forms of hepatocyte growth factor are biologically active and hepatocyte growth factor is generally isolated as a mixture of the two forms. Hepatocyte growth factor also alters cell motility and is now known to be identical to scatter factor. Acronym: HGF (18 Nov 1997) |
| pro-transforming growth factor-alpha processing protease | <enzyme> Converts membrane-bound protgf-alpha to soluble tgf-alpha; mw 84 kD Registry number: EC 3.4.21.- Synonym: protgf-alpha converting enzyme, protgfalpha processing protease (26 Jun 1999) |
| nerve growth factor | <growth factor> A peptide (13.26 kD) of 118 amino acids (usually dimeric) with both chemotropic and chemotrophic properties for sympathetic and sensory neurons. Found in a variety of peripheral tissues, nerve growth factor attracts neurites to the tissues by chemotropism, where they form synapses. The successful neurons are then protected from neuronal death by continuing supplies of nerve growth factor. It is also found at exceptionally high levels in snake venom and male mouse submaxillary salivary glands, from which it is commercially extracted. Nerve growth factor was the first of a family of nerve tropic factors to be discovered. Amino acids 1-81 show homology with proinsulin. Besides its peripheral actions, nerve growth factor selectively enhances the growth of cholinergic neurons that project to the forebrain and that degenerate in Alzheimer's disease. Acronym: NGF (18 Nov 1997) |
| nerve growth factor antiserum | An antiserum containing antibodies against nerve growth factor; when injected into newborn animals the majority of sympathetic ganglion cells are permanently destroyed, resulting in hypoinnervation of peripheral tissues. Synonym: NGF antiserum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insulin like growth factor | <growth factor> Insulin like growth factors I and II are polypeptides with considerable sequence similarity to insulin. They are capable of eliciting the same biological responses, including mitogenesis in cell culture. On the cell surface, there are two types of insulin like growth factor receptor, one of which closely resembles the insulin receptor (which is also present). Insulin like growth factor I = somatomedin A = somatomedin C Insulin like growth factor II = MSA (Multiplication stimulating activity). Insulin like growth factor 1 is released from the liver in response to growth hormone. Acronym: IGF (18 Nov 1997) |
| insulin-like growth-factor binding protein 1 | One of the six homologous proteins that specifically bind insulin-like growth factors (somatomedins) and modulate their mitogenic and metabolic actions. The function of this protein is not completely defined. However, several studies demonstrate that it inhibits igf binding to cell surface receptors and thereby inhibits igf-mediated mitogenic and cell metabolic actions. (proc soc exp biol med 1993;204(1):4-29) (12 Dec 1998) |