Enables growth factor activity; guanyl-nucleotide exchange factor activity; and transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activator activity. Involved in several processes, including positive regulation of macromolecule metabolic process; positive regulation of signal transduction; and regulation of protein localization. Acts upstream of or within positive regulation of cell population proliferation. Located in extracellular exosome. Is active in extracellular space. Implicated in several diseases, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome; hepatobiliary system cancer (multiple); high grade glioma (multiple); lung non-small cell carcinoma (multiple); and primary hypomagnesemia (multiple). Biomarker of several diseases, including acute kidney failure; lupus nephritis; neurodegenerative disease (multiple); pancreatic cancer (multiple); and pancreatitis.
RGD Description
This gene encodes a member of the epidermal growth factor superfamily. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate the 53-amino acid epidermal growth factor peptide. This protein acts a potent mitogenic factor that plays an important role in the growth, proliferation and differentiation of numerous cell types. This protein acts by binding with high affinity to the cell surface receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor. Defects in this gene are the cause of hypomagnesemia type 4. Dysregulation of this gene has been associated with the growth and progression of certain cancers. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants, at least one of which encodes a preproprotein that is proteolytically processed. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2016]