Tumor Necrosis Factor-α from mouse

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α from mouse, a potent proinflammatory cytokine has been used:

• to activate MS1 endothelium cells
• to induce lipolysis in adipocytes
• to study its effect on liganded and unliganded glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 gene regulation

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), also known as cachectin, is expressed as a 26 kDa membrane bound protein and is then cleaved by TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) to release the soluble 17 kDa monomer, which forms homotrimers in circulation. TNF-α plays roles in antitumor activity, immune modulation, inflammation, anorexia, cachexia, septic shock, viral replication and hematopoiesis. TNF-α is expressed by a great variety of cells, with numerous inductive and suppressive agents. Primarily, TNF-α is produced by macrophages in response to immunological challenges such as bacteria (lipopolysaccharides), viruses, parasites, mitogens and other cytokines. TNF-α is cytotoxic for many transformed cells (its namesake activity) but in normal diploid cells, it can stimulate proliferation (fibroblasts), differentiation (myeloid cells) or activation (neutrophils). TNF-α also shows antiviral effects against both DNA and RNA viruses and it induces production of several other cytokines. Although TNF-α is used in clinical trials as an antitumor agent, Sigma′s cytokine, growth factor and hormone products are for research only. TNF-α and the related molecule TNF-β (LT-α) share close structural homology with 28% amino acid sequence identity and both activate the same TNF receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. Mouse and human TNF-α share 79% amino acid sequence identity. Unlike human TNF-α, the mouse form is glycosylated.

Tumor necrosis factor-α, also known as cachectin, is expressed as a 26 kDa membrane bound protein and is then cleaved by TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) to release the soluble 17 kDa monomer, which forms homotrimers in circulation. TNF-α plays roles in antitumor activity, immune modulation, inflammation, anorexia, cachexia, septic shock, viral replication and hematopoiesis. TNF-α is cytotoxic for many transformed cells, but in normal diploid cells, it stimulates proliferation (fibroblasts), differentiation (myeloid cells) or activation (neutrophils). TNF-α also shows antiviral effects against both DNA and RNA viruses and induces production of several other cytokines.

Lyophilized from 10 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.5

One unit is the amount required to induce half-maximal cytolysis of L929 cells.