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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
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Avidity-based Extracellular Interaction Screening (AVEXIS) for the Scalable Detection of Low-affinity Extracellular Receptor-Ligand Interactions
Published on: March 5, 2012
Cellular and viral ligands that interact with the EGF receptor
G J Todaro1, T M Rose, C E Spooner
1Oncogen, Seattle, WA 98121.
Seminars in Cancer Biology
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Growth factors like epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha bind to the EGF receptor, regulating cell growth. Structural similarities suggest evolutionary links among these related growth-regulating polypeptides.
Area of Science:
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Cellular growth and regulation are critical biological processes.
- The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a key cell surface receptor involved in growth control.
- Several polypeptide ligands interact with EGFR to mediate its functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the growth regulatory functions of a family of structurally related polypeptides.
- To explore the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in mediating these functions.
- To examine the structural and functional characteristics of these ligands for evolutionary insights.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of polypeptide structures.
- Functional assays for growth regulation.
- Comparison of ligand-receptor interactions.
Main Results:
- A family of structurally related polypeptides mediates growth regulation.
- These ligands bind to the membrane-bound epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).
- Examples include epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, amphiregulin, and poxvirus-encoded polypeptides.
Conclusions:
- The identified ligand family shares structural and functional properties.
- These shared characteristics suggest potential evolutionary relationships among the ligands.
- EGFR acts as a central mediator for the growth regulatory functions of this ligand family.
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