Mass spectrometry tests HDGF

Scientists have identified hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) as a phosphoprotein using mass spectrometry.

The study, conducted by Allen Everett, Jun Yang, Monzur Rahman, Pratima Dulloor and David Brautigan, was published in the BMC Cell Biology journal.

Testing on mice, the scientists found that aortic vascular smooth muscle cells were phosphorlyated.

Following tests, they concluded that: "HDGF is a phosphoprotein and phosphorylation of S103 is mitosis related and required for its function as a mitogen."

They added that this cell cycle could also have an important part to play in "vascular cell proliferation".

BMC Cell Biology is an online open-access journal used as a resource by scientists.

Publishing peer-reviewed articles focusing on cell biology, the site is part of BioMed Central, which releases studies as soon as possible after review.

It also hosts a variety of other scientific journals - including BMC Medicine and BMC Biology - publishing content on a variety of subject areas.