Recombinant human CNTFR alpha protein

CNTFR, also known as ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor subunit alpha preproprotein, is expressed in glial cells within the central and peripheral nervous systems. It stimulates gene expression, cell survival or differentiation in a variety of neuronal cell types such as sensory, sympathetic, ciliary and motor neurons. This protein has a structure unrelated to the receptors utilized by the nerve growth factor family of neurotrophic molecules, but instead is most homologous to the receptor for a cytokine, interleukin-6. Also, it possesses an unusual attachment to the cell membrane through a glycophosphatidylinositol linkage. It activates downstream signaling molecules such as STAT-3 in areas of the hypothalamus which regulate food intake. Recombinant human CNTFR, fused to His-tag at C-terminus, was expressed in insect cell and purified by using conventional chromatography techniques