Synonyms: |
DIF, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, RATTNF, Tnfa, tnf, TNF-a, TNFalpha, Tnfsf1a, TNFa, cTNF, Tnf-alpha, tnfa-like, TNF-ALPHA, dif, tnfa, xtnf, tnfsf2, tnf-alpha, Cachectin, tumor necrosis factor, tumor necrosis factor b (TNF superfamily, member 2), tumor necrosis factor alpha, tumor necrosis factor a (TNF superfamily, member 2), TNF, Tnf, tnf, tnfb, tnf-alpha, LOC103694380, tnfa. |
Background: |
TNF-alpha is a protein secreted by macrophages in response to inflammation, infection, and cancer. It shares biological activities with human Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Lymphotoxin (TNF-beta), exhibiting 30% amino acid homology. TNF-alpha, primarily produced by monocytes, can prompt endothelial cells to produce the multilineage growth factor granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, thus extending its role to regulate hematopoiesis in vitro. TNF is a soluble protein that selectively damages tumor cells while sparing normal cells. Purified TNF from HL-60 leukemia cells, appearing as a 17.3-kilodalton protein, exhibits cytotoxic and cytostatic effects against various human tumor cell lines. The human TNF cDNA spans 1585 base pairs, encoding a 233-amino-acid protein. The mature protein commences at residue 77, preceded by a long leader sequence of 76 amino acids. TNF-alpha is located on human chromosome 6. |