Background
This gene encodes the ligand of the tyrosine-kinase receptor encoded by the KIT locus. This
ligand is a pleiotropic factor that acts in utero in germ cell and neural cell development, and
hematopoiesis, all believed to reflect a role in cell migration. In adults, it functions
pleiotropically, while mostly noted for its continued requirement in hematopoiesis. Two
transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene
