Rat MCSF (Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor 1) ELISA Kit

M-CSF, also known as CSF-1, is a four-alpha-helical-bundle cytokine that is the primary regulator of macrophage survival, proliferation, and differentiation. M-CSF is found as isoforms of various sizes. All isoforms contain the N-terminal 150 amino acid (aa) portion that is necessary and sufficient for interaction with the M-CSF receptor but may vary in activity and half-life.Sources of M-CSF include fibroblasts, activated macrophages, endometrial secretory epithelium, bone marrow stromal cells, vitamin D-stimulated osteoblasts, and activated endothelial cells. The M-CSF receptor (M-CSF R, also called c-fms) transduces the pleotropic effects of M-CSF and mediates its endocytosis. Engagement of M-CSF dimers by M-CSF R induces receptor dimerization, followed by phosphorylation at multiple sites. M-CSF R is expressed on monocytes and tissue macrophages, and treatment with M-CSF promotes differentiation of macrophages, kidney mesangial cells, liver Kupffer cells, brain microglial cells, bone osteoclasts, fetal trophoblast cells, skin Langerhans cells, intestinal Paneth cells, and blood and lymph node plasmacytoid dendritic cells. M-CSF R is also expressed on osteoblasts where it downregulates RANKL production, thus allowing M-CSF to limit osteoclast production. M-CSF is essential for macrophage-related functions such as bone resorption, vascular development, and innate immunity. M-CSF regulates the release of cytokines and other inflammatory modulators from macrophages, and stimulates chemotaxis and pinocytosis. Circulating M-CSF increases during pregnancy and supports implantation and growth of the decidua and placenta. M-CSF expression can also be increased during infection or in inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. Both M-CSF and its receptor can be expressed by a number of cancers, allowing M-CSF to act as an autocrine growth factor for cancer cells. Macrophages can also be recruited to tumor tissues, supplying M-CSF as a paracrine growth factor. On the other hand, M-CSF can have anti-cancer effects by priming and enhancing macrophage killing of tumor cells and microorganisms. Protein function: Cytokine that plays an essential role in the regulation of survival, proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells, especially mononuclear phagocytes, such as macrophages and monocytes. Promotes the release of pro-inflammatory chemokines, and thereby plays an important role in innate immunity and in inflammatory processes. Plays an important role in the regulation of osteoclast proliferation and differentiation, the regulation of bone resorption, and is required for normal bone development. Required for normal male and female fertility. Promotes reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, regulates formation of membrane ruffles, cell adhesion and cell migration. Plays a role in lipoprotein clearance (By similarity) [The UniProt Consortium]