Insulin like growth factor II fragment variant (Synonyms: H2N-Thr-Pro-Thr-Lys-Ser-Glu-Arg-OH )

Insulin like growth factor II fragment variant has a sequence of Thr-Pro-Thr-Lys-Ser-Glu-Arg.

Insulin like growth factor II (IGF-2) is one of three protein hormones that share structural similarity to insulin. In humans, the IGF2 gene is located on chromosome 11p15.5, a region which contains numerous imprinted genes. The major role of IGF-2 is as a growth promoting hormone during gestation. IGF-2 exerts its effects by binding to the IGF-1 receptor. IGF2 may also bind to the IGF-2 receptor, which acts as a signalling antagonist; that is, to prevent IGF2 responses.

IGF-2 is postulated to have autocrine and/or paracrine functions in developing fetal tissues. Study also found that IGF-II and variant IGF-II mRNA co-expression occurs in the human fetal female genital tract and that the two forms of the growth factors may have physiologic roles in reproductive tract development.

Figure 1: Image of Insulin like growth factor II

Ref:

1. Pham NV, Nguyen MT, Hu JF, Vu TH, Hoffman AR. “Dissociation of IGF2 and H19 imprinting in human brain”. Brain Res. 1998 Nov 9; 810(1-2):1-8.

2. Yeh J, Danehy FT, Osathanondh R, Villa-Komaroff L. “mRNAs for insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and variant IGF-II are co-expressed in human fetal ovary and uterus”. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1991 Sep; 80(1-3):75-82.