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 III RTKs include the receptors from SCF, M-CSF and PDGF. Not surprisingly, Flt-3 ligand is also structurally related to M-CSF and SCF. All three cytokines have been shown to exist both as type I transmembrane proteins and as soluble proteins. The predominant human FL isoform is a transmembrane protein that can undergo proteolytic cleavage to generate a soluble form of the protein. FL has been shown to synergize with a wide variety of hematopoietic cytokines to stimulate the growth and differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitors.