Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR)

摘要

A full-length cDNA clone has been isolated encoding a purified augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) polypeptide prepared from the cytosol of livers from weanling rats. The 1.2 kb cDNA includes a 299 bp 5'-untranslated region, a 375 bp coding region and a 551 bp 3'-untranslated region. The cDNA encodes a protein consisting of 125 amino acids. The molecular weight of ALR calculated from the cDNA was 15,081 which is consistent with the size estimated by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The molecular weight of the purified native ALR estimated by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions is about 30,000, apparently with a homodimer structure. The recombinant ALR produced by expression of the cDNA in cultured cells was tested in vivo in the canine Eck's fistula model and found to have a potency equivalent to the purified native ALR. The most obvious immediate clinical use for the augmenter of liver regeneration is in the treatment of hepatic failure.