Antigen name:
Platelet-activating factor;
Alternative:
General Annotation
Function:
It is an important mediator of bronchoconstriction.
It causes platelets to aggregate and blood vessels to dilate. Thus, it is important to the process of hemostasis. At a concentration of 1E-12 mol/L, PAF causes life threatening inflammation of the airways to induce asthma like symptoms.
Toxins such as fragments of destroyed bacteria induce the synthesis of PAF, which causes a drop in blood pressure and reduced volume of blood pumped by the heart, which leads to shock and possibly death.
Location:
Platelet-activating factor, also known as a PAF, PAF-acether or AGEPC (acetyl-glyceryl-ether-phosphorylcholine) is a potent phospholipid activator and mediator of many leukocyte functions, including platelet aggregation and degranulation, inflammation, and anaphylaxis. It is also involved in changes to vascular permeability, the oxidative burst, chemotaxis of leukocytes, as well as augmentation of arachidonic acid metabolism in phagocytes.
It is produced in response to specific stimuli by a variety of cell types, including neutrophils, basophils, injured tissue, monocytes/macrophages, platelets, and endothelial cells.
Antigen Attributes:
Vaild Sequence:
