Animal-free Recombinant Human VEGF 165is expressed in human 293 cells as a homodimeric glycoprotein with an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa. The E. coli expressed protein is a monomer-dimer mixture with a molecular mass 18 to 34 kDa. The cytokine is produced in a human cell expression system with serum free, chemically defined media. VEGF, also known as vascular permeability factor (VPF) or vasculotropin, is a homodimeric 34-45 kDa, heparin-binding glycoprotein with potent angiogenic, mitogenic, and vascular permeability enhancing activities specific for endothelial cells.

This gene is a member of the PDGF/VEGF growth factor family. It encodes a heparin-binding protein, which exists as a disulphide-linked homodimer (PMID 10838264; 11329058). This growth factor induces proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells and is essential for physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Misregulations of this gene in mice result in abnormal embryonic blood vessel formation.