protein_function: Lineage-specific cytokine affecting the proliferationand maturation of megakaryocytes from their committed progenitorcells. It acts at a late stage of megakaryocyte development. Itmay be the major physiological regulator of circulating platelets.
Thrombopoietin(TPO) is also called megakaryocyte growth and development factor(MGDF). TPO, a lineage-specific cytokine affecting the proliferation and maturation of megakaryocytes from committed progenitor cells, is believed to be the major physiological regulator of circulating platelet levels. Human, dog, and mouse cDNAs for MGDF are highly conserved and encode open reading frames for proteins of 353, 352, and 356 amino acids, respectively, including predicted signal peptides. MGDF is a novel cytokine that regulates megakaryocyte development and is a ligand for the MPL receptor. The human MGDF gene has been mapped to chromosome 3q26.3. The standard product used in this kit is gene recombinant mouse TPO, consisting of 335 amino acids with the molecular mass of 35KDa. As a result of glycosylation, the molecular mass is 75KDa.