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Tumor Necrosis Factor; TNF superfamily members include the cytokines: TNF (TNF-alpha), LT (lymphotoxin-alpha, TNF-beta), CD40 ligand, Apo2L (TRAIL), Fas ligand, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) ligand. These proteins generally have an intracellular N-terminal domain, a short transmembrane segment, an extracellular stalk, and a globular TNF-like extracellular domain of about 150 residues. They initiate apoptosis by binding to related receptors, some of which have intracellular death domains. They generally form homo- or hetero- trimeric complexes.TNF cytokines bind one elongated receptor molecule along each of three clefts formed by neighboring monomers of the trimer with ligand trimerization a requiste for receptor binding.
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