This gene encodes epidermal growth factor (EGF), the founding member of the EGF family of growth factors that are implicated in cell proliferation and differentiation. The encoded protein can localize to the membrane and function in juxtacrine signaling or undergo proteolytic processing to generate a soluble form of the hormone. Mice lacking the encoded protein do not exhibit an abnormal phenotype but transgenic mice overexpressing the encoded protein exhibit hypospermatogenesis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2016]
