EGF

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is a potent growth factor that plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. It stimulates the proliferation of various epidermal and epithelial cells. EGF has been shown to inhibit gastric secretion, promote colony formation of epidermal cells in culture, and be involved in wound healing. EGF is the prototype of a large family of EGF-like proteins, it signals through the c-erbB receptor. Recombinant porcine EGF is a globular protein with 3 intramolecular disulfide bonds essential for biological activity. Approximately 85% homology is found between human EGF and porcine EGF. The relative positions of the cysteine residues are conserved.

Recombinant MESOkine® EGF, porcine is produced in the endosperm tissue of barley seed (Hordeum vulgare).

Tris pH 7.2, sterile filtered through 0.2 um filter.

MESOkine® recombinant EGF, porcine is purified from barley seeds resulting in an extract containing purified recombinant EGF protein along with co-purified barley seed proteins. The exact content of the growth factor is stated on the vials. The co-purified barley seed proteins may serve as stabilizing proteins that can prolong the lifetime of the recombinant protein during proper storage and may enhance the bioactivity of growth factors in standardized bioassays.

It is recommended to reconstitute the lyophilized protein in sterile buffered saline or a solution of your choice, preferably to a concentration of no more than 10-100 μg/ml. If needed the reconstituted material may be centrifuged at 3500G for 5 min or filtrated using a 0.45 micron filter. The lyophilized protein, though stable at room temperature for a few weeks, is best stored at -20°C. Reconstituted protein should be used immediately or stored in working aliquots at -20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Each batch of MESOkine® growth factor is tested for bioactivity and verified to have comparable activity to a corresponding commercial source of highly purified (>95%) growth factor. The bioactivity of MESOkine® recombinant porcine EGF was determined by its dose-dependent effect on the proliferation of 3T3 cells. The ED50 for this effect using EGF is typically < 0.1 ng/ml corresponding to specific activity of > 10 x 10e6 U/mg. Optimal concentration should be determined for specific applications and cell lines.

MESOkine® EGF, porcine contains 53 amino acids and an N-terminal 6 a.a. histidine tag for a total length of 59 a.a. and has a predicted molecular mass of 7 kDa. The recombinant protein migrates with an apparent molecular mass of 9.5 kDa in SDS-PAGE.