Growth factors embryonic development

Cytokines are proteins that serve as signal molecules in cell-cell communication, and as such, perform a central and very diverse function in growth and differentiation of an organism. Representatives of cytokines control proliferation, differentiation and function of cells of the immune system and of cells of the blood-forming system. Furthermore, they are involved in processes of inflammation and in the neuronal, hema-poetic and embryonal development of the organism. Known cytokines include the interleukins (IL), erythropoietin, growth hormone, interferons (INF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (see Table 8.1). A review of cytokines and cytokine receptors is to be found in HiU and Treisman, (1995) Taniguchi et al., (1995) and Moutoussamy et al., (1998). 

Miquerol L, Langille BL, Nagy A. Embryonic development is disrupted by modest increases in vascular endothelial growth factor gene expression. Development 2000 127 3941-3946. 

FGFs are members of a family of polypeptides synthesized by a variety of cell types during the process of embryonic development and in adult tissues. These growth factors have been detected in normal and malignant cells and show a biological profile... 

Zhao C, Meng A. 2005. Sp 1 -like transcription factors are regulators of embryonic development. Develop Growth Differ 47 201-211. 

The NRG1-ICD is essential for surface expression of Type I Nrg l(Liu et al., 1998a). In vitro experiments demonstrate that Type I isoforms of NRG 1 lacking an intact intracellular domain fail to be expressed at the cell surface, and therefore fail to release soluble growth factor. Because the Type I NRG1 isoform is required for cardiac development, the so-called transmembrane mutant animals, the pan-knockout animals, and the Ig-mutant animals (in which the Ig-like domain common to all Type I and Type II isoforms is disrupted) all show the same embryonic lethal phenotype. 

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