MFG-E8 Antibody / Lactadherin / Milk Fat Globule

MFGE8 (Milk Fat Globule-Egf Factor 8), also called as Lactadherin or SED1, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the MFGE8 gene. Mfge8 is secreted protein found in vertebrates, including mammals as well as birds. By fluorescence in situ hybridization, Collins et al.(1997) mapped the MFGE8 gene to chromosome 15q25. Hanayama et al.(2002) found that MFGE8 is a factor that links apoptotic cells to phagocytes. MFGE8 specifically bound to apoptotic cells by recognizing aminophospholipids such as phosphatidylserine. MFGE8, when engaged by phospholipids, bound to cells via its RGD motif. It bound particularly strongly to cells expressing alpha-V-beta-3 integrin. Bu et al.(2007) showed that Mfge8 was expressed in intestinal lamina propria macrophages in mice. Using a wound-healing assay, they showed that Mfge8 promoted migration of intestinal epithelial cells through a PKC-epsilon(PRKCE)-dependent mechanism.