vascular endothelial growth factor D; VEGF-D; c-fos-induced growth factor; FIGF (FIGF, VEGFD)

Function

• growth factor active in angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis & endothelial cell growth, stimulating their proliferation & migration
• also has effects on the permeability of blood vessels
• may function in the formation of the venous & lymphatic vascular systems during embryogenesis, & also in the maintenance of differentiated lymphatic endothelium in adults
• binds & activates VEGFR-2 receptor (Flk1) & VEGFR-3 receptor (Flt4)
• undergoes a complex proteolytic maturation which generates a variety of processed secreted forms with increased activity toward VEGFR-3 & VEGFR-2

Structure

• homodimer; non-covalent & antiparallel
• VEGF-D first form an antiparallel homodimer linked by disulfide bonds before secretion
• the fully processed VEGF-D is composed mostly of two VEGF homology domains (VHDs) bound by non-covalent interactions
• belongs to the PDGF/VEGF growth factor family

Compartment

secreted

Expression

• highly expressed in lung, heart, small intestine & fetal lung, & at lower levels in skeletal muscle, colon, & pancreas

Laboratory

• vascular endothelial growth factor D in serum/plasma

More general terms

• vascular endothelial growth factor family protein (VEGF family)

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=2277
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2277
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/300091
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/O43915.html