GDF15
Description
The GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 19.
Growth/differentiation factor 15 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GDF15 gene. GDF15 was first identified as Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 or MIC-1. It is a protein belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. Under normal conditions, GDF15 is expressed in low concentrations in most organs and upregulated because of injury of organs such as liver, kidney, heart and lung. The function of GDF15 is not fully clear but it seems to have a role in regulating inflammatory pathways and to be involved in regulating apoptosis, angiogenesis, cell repair and cell growth, which are biological processes observed in cardiovascular and neoplastic disorders. GDF15 has shown to be a strong prognostic protein in patients with different diseases such as heart diseases and cancer. In cardiovascular tissues it is shown that GDF-15 concentrations increase in response to atherosclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury and heart failure. In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), GDF-15 is shown to be associated with adverse outcome such as mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and with bleeding. However, elevated GDF15 levels in diseases such as cancer and heart disease may be the result of inflammation caused by these diseases. Note that GDF15 is necessary for surviving both bacterial and viral infections, as well as sepsis.
GDF15 regulates food intake, energy expenditure, and body weight in response to metabolic and toxin-induced stresses. It binds to its receptor, GFRAL, and activates GFRAL-expressing neurons in the area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius of the brainstem. This triggers the activation of neurons in the parabrachial nucleus and central amygdala, which are part of the ‘emergency circuit‘ that shapes feeding responses to stressful conditions. On hepatocytes, it inhibits growth hormone signaling.
GDF15 is also known as GDF-15, HG, MIC-1, MIC1, NAG-1, PDF, PLAB, PTGFB.
