tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 12; TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis; TWEAK; APO3 ligand (TNFSF12, APO3L, DR3LG, UNQ181/PRO207)

Function

• ligand with limited ability to induce apoptosis
• weak inducer of apoptosis in some cell types
• binds to FN14 & possibly also to TNRFSF12/APO3
• mediates NF-kappa-B activation
• promotes angiogenesis & the proliferation of endothelial cells
• also involved in induction of inflammatory cytokines
• the soluble form derives from the membrane form by proteolytic processing
• homotrimer (putative)
• interacts with the angiogenic factor AGGF1/VG5Q
• binds to death domain-containing receptor DR3

Structure

belongs to the tumor necrosis factor family

Compartment

• cell membrane; single-pass type 2 membrane protein
• secreted form: secreted

Expression

• highly expressed in adult heart, pancreas, skeletal muscle, brain, colon, small intestine, lung, ovary, prostate, spleen, lymph node, appendix & peripheral blood lymphocytes
• low expression in kidney, testis, liver, placenta, thymus & bone marrow

also detected in fetal kidney, liver, lung & brain

More general terms

• tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family protein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=8742
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:8742
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/602695
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/O43508.html