Epidermal growth factor, its receptor, and related proteins

An interesting aspect of the developments forthcoming from the study of cell growth control by growth factors is the structural and functional homologies that have been found to exist between growth factors or their receptors and other molecules. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) system has been particularly fruitful in this regard. The information in this article is meant to summarize the relationships that have been recently described between EGF and other EGF-like molecules and between the EGF receptor and related macromolecules.