midkine; MK; amphiregulin-associated protein; ARAP; midgestation & kidney protein; neurite outgrowth-promoting factor 2; neurite outgrowth-promoting protein (MDK, MK1, NEGF2)

Function

• developmentally regulated, secreted growth factor
• homologous to pleiotrophin (PTN), which has heparin binding activity
• binds anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) which induces ALK activation & subsequent phosphorylation of IRS1, followed by activation of MAPK & PI3-kinase, & the induction of cell proliferation
• involved in neo-intima formation after arterial injury, possibly by mediating leukocyte recruitment
• also involved in early fetal adrenal gland development (putative)
• interacts with ALK

Structure

• homodimer
• belongs to the pleiotrophin family

Compartment

secreted

Expression

induced by heparin & retinoic acid

More general terms

• secreted protein
• growth factor

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=4192
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4192
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/162096
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P21741.html