TNF Ligand Superfamily (TNFSF12) Human Recombinant Protein

The protein encoded by this gene is a cytokine that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family. This protein is a ligand for the FN14/TWEAKR receptor. This cytokine has overlapping signaling functions with TNF, but displays a much wider tissue distribution. This cytokine, which exists in both membrane-bound and secreted forms, can induce apoptosis via multiple pathways of cell death in a cell type-specific manner. This cytokine is also found to promote proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, and thus acts as a regulator of angiogenesis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Some transcripts skip the last exon of this gene and continue into the second exon of the neighboring TNFSF13 gene; such read-through transcripts are contained in GeneID 407977, TNFSF12-TNFSF13. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2010]

TNFSF12: Binds to FN14 and possibly also to TNRFSF12/APO3. Weak inducer of apoptosis in some cell types. Mediates NF-kappa-B activation. Promotes angiogenesis and the proliferation of endothelial cells. Also involved in induction of inflammatory cytokines. Homotrimer (Potential). Interacts with the angiogenic factor AGGF1/VG5Q. Highly expressed in adult heart, pancreas, skeletal muscle, brain, colon, small intestine, lung, ovary, prostate, spleen, lymph node, appendix and peripheral blood lymphocytes. Low expression in kidney, testis, liver, placenta, thymus and bone marrow. Also detected in fetal kidney, liver, lung and brain. Belongs to the tumor necrosis factor family.

Protein type: Motility/polarity/chemotaxis; Membrane protein, integral; Apoptosis; Cytokine

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 17p13

Cellular Component: extracellular space; perinuclear region of cytoplasm; integral to plasma membrane

Molecular Function: protein binding; cytokine activity; tumor necrosis factor receptor binding; receptor binding

Biological Process: positive regulation of angiogenesis; apoptosis; positive regulation of protein catabolic process; endothelial cell migration; immune response; positive regulation of endothelial cell proliferation; angiogenesis; cell differentiation; signal transduction