Human Hepatocyte Growth Factor alpha chain Recombinant

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that was originally described as a mesenchymal- derived factor that regulates cell growth, cell motility, morphogenesis and angiogenesis through activation of its receptor, the transmembrane tyrosine kinase encoded by the c-Met proto-oncogene. HGF and c- Met are often co-expressed or over-expressed in a variety of human malignancies including glioblastoma and medullablastoma. The multifunctional effects of HGF:c-Met signaling in tumor cells are mediated by a network of signal transduction pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) . HGF consists of two subunits held by a disulfide bond. The alpha subunit (69 kDa) has a length of 440 amino acids. The beta subunit (34 kDa) has a length of 234 amino acids. The beta chain of the factor shows approximately 38% homology at the protein level to the serine protease domain of plasminogen. A variant of the beta chain has been shown to function as a subunit of a hybrid cytokine known as PPBSF [pre-pro-B- cell growth stimulating factor]. HGF is a glycoprotein, the non-glycosylated factor is also bioactive.

Reconstitute at 0.1-1.0 mg/ml in distilled water. This solution can then be diluted into other buffers. To maximize product collection from vial surface, vortex briefly and then spin down to recollect the liquid.

The lyophilized protein is stable for at least 2 years from date of receipt when stored at -20°C. Upon reconstitution, store in working aliquots at +4°C for up to one month, or at -20°C for up to six months, in the presence of a carrier protein. Avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles.