PDGF belongs to the PDGF/VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) family, which is characterized by eight strictly conserved cysteine residues with similar spacing in between (Joukov et al., 1997; Heldin and Westermark, 1999). The A-, B-, C-, and D-chain genes of PDGF are localized to the chromosomes 7p22, 22q13, 4q31, and 11q22, respectively, and their expression is independently regulated. Two forms of the PDGF A-chain, containing 196 and 211 amino acid residues resulting from differential splicing of the transcript, are synthesized, dimerized, proteolytically processed in the Nterminus, and secreted from the cell as a ~30 kDa dimer. The PDGF B chain encoding 241 amino acid residues is dimerized, processed by additional proteolysis, and secreted as a 24 kDa dimer. The homodimers PDGF AA, BB, and the heterodimer AB contain three intrachain disulfide bonds. Proteins on this pathway have targeted assays available via the [CPTAC Assay Portal](https://assays.cancer.gov/available_assays?wp_id=WP2526). Synonyms: AP-1, c-Jun Synonym: GAP Synonym: SH-PTP2 Synonym: JNK1 Synonym: JNKK1 Synonym: MEKK1 Originally: MP2K1 (MEK 1) Synonyms: H-Ras-1, Ras c89 b3a b2c a00 f4a b74 dd5 c65 dc2 d53 Synonym: cPLA2 Synonym: c-Fos Synonym: c-Src Synonym: Por1 Synonym: IkB alpha platelet-derived growth factor signaling pathway PW:0000297 Pathway Ontology 21769672 PubMed PDGF: the nuts and bolts of signalling toolbox. Tumour Biol 2011 Farooqi AA Waseem S Riaz AM Dilawar BA Mukhtar S Minhaj S Waseem MS Daniel S Malik BA Nawaz A Bhatti S 18483217 PubMed Role of platelet-derived growth factors in physiology and medicine. Genes Dev 2008 Andrae J Gallini R Betsholtz C 2841963 PubMed Structural and functional aspects of platelet-derived growth factor. Br J Cancer 1988 Heldin CH Hammacher A Nistأ©r M Westermark B 20657170 PubMed PDGF function in diverse neural crest cell populations. Cell Adh Migr 2010 Smith CL Tallquist MD 22512244 PubMed Autocrine PDGF stimulation in malignancies. Ups J Med Sci 2012 Heldin CH 1661577 PubMed PDGF: a multifunctional growth factor. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab 1991 Antoniades HN Jak-Stat signaling pathway PW:0000209 Pathway Ontology 2546599 PubMed Structure and function of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and related proteins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1989 Hannink M Donoghue DJ 2557116 PubMed Platelet-derived growth factors: a family of isoforms that bind to two distinct receptors. Br Med Bull 1989 Heldin CH Westermark B cancer DOID:162 Disease 2545232 PubMed Platelet-derived growth factor. Three isoforms that bind to two distinct cell surface receptors. Acta Oncol 1989 Claesson-Welsh L Heldin CH 1755382 PubMed PDGF and the small inducible gene (SIG) family: roles in the inflammatory response. Adv Exp Med Biol 1991 Kawahara RS Deng ZW Deuel TF