DNA ENCODING EPITHELIAL CELL SPECIFIC GROWTH FACTOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new keratin cell growth factor protein having N-terminal region and C terminal region in number to cause selective mitogen activity on epithelium-derived cell, useful for examining the mitogen activity of test sample on keratin cell, etc. SOLUTION: This isolated glycosylated or nonglycosylated keratin cell growth factor(KGF) protein is a new KGF protein having N-terminal region containing amino acid 32-64 and C-terminal region containing amino acid 65-156 and 161-189 in number enough to cause selective mitogen activity on an epithelium-derived cell bonded to the protein and is useful for a method for examining mitogen activity of a test sample on a keratin cell. The KGF protein is obtained by constructing a cDNA library by using an RNA extracted from a human fetal pulmonary fibroblast system, screening the library by using a DNA encoding a KGF amino acid sequence as a probe and expressing an obtained gene in an expression system.