hLIF Protein

Provided below are standard protocols that you may find useful for product applications.

Background

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was identified by its ability to induce terminal differentiation in leukemic cells.^1,2 LIF is a pleiotrophic factor with known actions in the immune system, the nervous system and the reproductive system.^3,4 

In the nervous system it acts on cultured sympathetic neurons to direct a change in neurotransmitter expression from a noradrenergic to a cholinergic phenotype and regulates the expression of neuropeptide transmitters in these cells.^5,6 
 
In the immune system LIF plays a key role in inflammation,^7,8 with a pro-inflammatory role in rheumatoid arthritis,⁹ but also with proposed anti-inflammatory properties in lung inflammatory processes. 
 
In the reproductive system, LIF appears to play an important role in implantation and in the establishment of pregnancy.^10,12 LIF acts as a trophic factor for oligodendrocytes and promotes astrocytic survival and differentiation.^13,14 It exhibits activity towards spinal motor neurons and stimulate the biosynthesis of acetylcholine.⁶ 

LIF also functions as a trophic factor for peripheral sensory neurons supporting their survival.^15,16 LIF appears to be essential for injury-induced neuropeptide synthesis¹⁷ and can also stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to stress and disease.¹⁸ LIF is used extensively in experimental biology because of its ability to induce embryonic stem cells to retain their totipotentiality.

References

1 . Brach, M.A.et al.(1990)Leukemia4,646.
2 . Estrov, Z.et al.(1992)Leuk. Lymphoma 8,1.
3 . Gough, N.M.et al.(1989)Cancer Cells. 1,77.
4 . Metcalf, D. (2003)Stem Cells 21,5.
5 . Zurn, A.D. and Werren, F.(1994)Dev. Biol. 163,309.
6 . Martinou, J.C.et al.(1992)Neuron8,737.
7 . Gadient, R.A. and Patterson, P.H.(1999)Stem Cells 17,127.
8 . Patterson, P.H.(1994)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91,7833.
9 . Gabay, C.et al.(1996)Clin. Exp. Immunol. 105, 260.
10 . Lass, A.et al.(2001)Fertil. Steril. 76,1091.
11 . Robb, L.et al.(2002)J. Reprod. Immunol. 57,129.
12 . Ledee Bataille, N.et al.(2002)Hum. Reprod. 17,213.
13 . Vos, J.P. et al.(1996)Perspect. Dev. Neurobiol. 4,39.
14 . Butzkueven, H. et al.(2002)Nat. Med. 8,613.
15 . Horton, A.R. et al.(1996)Perspect. Dev. Neurobiol. 4,35.
16 . Murphy, M. et al.(1997)Prog. Neurobiol. 52,355.
17 . Rajan, P.et al.(1995)Neuroreport6,2240.
18 . Akita, S.et al.(1996)J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 81,4170.