Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is a secreted protein without a cleavable signal sequence and is secreted via a specialized, non-classical pathway. It is secreted by macrophages upon stimulation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or by M.tuberculosis antigens. MIF consists of two α-helices and six β-strands, four of which form a β-sheet. The two remaining β-strands interact […]

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF or MMIF), also named as glycosylation-inhibiting factor (GIF), L-dopachrome isomerase, or phenylpyruvate tautomerase, is a protein encoded by the MIF gene. It is released from white blood cells by bacterial antigen stimulation to trigger an acute immune response, or by glucocorticoids to counter-act the inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids on immune […]

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF or MMIF), also named as glycosylation-inhibiting factor (GIF), L-dopachrome isomerase, or phenylpyruvate tautomerase, is a protein encoded by the MIF gene. It is released from white blood cells by bacterial antigen stimulation to trigger an acute immune response, or by glucocorticoids to counter-act the inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids on immune […]

The cytokine Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L), also known as Flt-3 Ligand, is an important regulator of hematopoiesis. Its receptor, Flt3, is expressed on myeloid, lymphoid and dendritic cell progenitors and is considered an important growth and differentiation factor for several hematopoietic lineages. Activating mutations of Flt3 are frequently found in acute myeloid leukemia […]

Neuropoietin (NP, also known as cardiotrophin-2) is a 19.7 kDa member of the IL-6 family of cytokines. Considered to be the product of a gene duplication event involving cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), it helps to define a subfamily within the IL-6 family that includes CT-1, CLC and CTNF. Mouse neuropoietin is synthesized as a 204 amino acid […]

Flt-3 ligand (FL) is a recently identified hematopoietic cytokine whose activities are mediated by binding to the transmembrane glycoprotein Flt-3. Flt-3 was first discovered as a member of the class III subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) whose expression among hematopoietic cells was found to be restricted to highly enriched stem/progenitor cell populations. Additionally, class […]

GMF-beta belongs to the actin-binding ADF/cofilin protein family. It contains an ADF-H domain, but the research of crystallography and NMR reveals that there are structures different between human and mouse ADF-H domain. It was initially identified as a growth gamma differentiation factor that acts on neurons and glia. It has also been shown to function […]

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent, mesenchymal-derived mitogen of mature parenchymal hepatocytes and acts as a growth factor for a wide range of tissues and cell types.HGF signals through the transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor of the MET.The functions of HGF include the induction of cell proliferation, motility, morphogenesis, inhibition of cell growth, and the […]

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an interleukin 7 (IL-7)-like cytokine originally characterized by its ability to promote the activation of B cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Both mouse TSLP and IL-7 can co-stimulate growth of thymocytes and mature T cells, and support B lymphopoiesis in long-term cultures of fetal liver cells and bone-marrow cells. Whereas […]

Dickkopf related protein 1 (Dkk-1) is the founding member of the Dickkopf family of proteins that includes Dkk-1, -2, -3, -4, and a related protein. Dkk antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling by inhibiting LRP5/6 interaction with Wnt and by forming a ternary complex with the transmembrane protein KREMEN that promotes internalization of LRP5/6. DKKs play an […]