Thrombopoietin Proteins

Megakaryocytopoiesis is the cellular development process that leads to platelet production. The protein encoded by this gene is a humoral growth factor that is necessary for megakaryocyte proliferation and maturation, as well as for thrombopoiesis. This protein is the ligand for MLP/C_MPL, the product of myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene. Mutations in this gene are the cause of thrombocythemia 1. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants of this gene.[provided by RefSeq, Jun 2012].