PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF SCATTER FACTOR HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR AND ITS RECEPTOR C-MET

Scatter factor (SF), a cell motility factor with a multimodular struct ure, is identical to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a potent mitogen of various cell types. The receptor for SF/HGF has recently been ident ified as the c-Met proto-oncogene product, a transmembrane receptor ty rosine kinase. Depending on the target cells and culture conditions, S F/HGF has several distinct activities in vitro, i.e., it induces cell motility, proliferation, invasiveness, tubular morphogenesis, angiogen esis, or cytotoxicity. In vivo, SF/HGF might be involved in tissue reg eneration, tumor progression, and embryological processes.