Hgf (also called scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor or SF/HGF) stimulates proliferation and/or movement in a variety of cultured epithelial cells. It also mediates the morphogenetic organization of cultured epithelial cells into ordered tubular structures and has been implicated in epithelial/mesenchymal conversion. The skin and coat of hemizygous HGF‐tg mice on a C57BL/6 genetic background is discernably darker than those of inbred C57BL/6 mice. Melanin in the skin of 3-day-old and 7-month-old animals is largely confined to melanocytes and is sparse in the epidermis. Melanosomes are visible in neonatal melanocytes, but adult (7 months) melanocytes are heavily congested with pigment. At 8 weeks of age, transgenic skin has more than sixfold the melanin of adult wildtype skin. These animals were used to demonstrate that melanoma induction by ultraviolet A (320-400 nm) requires the presence of melanin pigment and is associated with oxidative DNA damage within melanocytes. In contrast, ultraviolet B radiation (280-320 nm) initiates melanoma in a pigment-independent manner associated with direct ultraviolet B DNA damage. Future applications of this strain may involve its combination with oncogenic driver mutations found in melanoma patients for the development of immunotherapies. Both females and males have a high incidence of rectal prolapse prior to 6 months old (as early as 3-4 months old), but it does not affect all animals. Additionally, females often have underdeveloped male and female internal reproductive organs. These phenotypes, however, are much reduced on the C57BL/6 background as compared to the original FVB/N background.&nbsp;Hemizygotes on the C57BL/6 background demonstrate some ectopic skeletal muscle. Hemizygous mice do not exhibit early lethality, but homozygotes are generally lethal with an occasional rare live birth. The donating laboratory maintained this strain through crosses of wildtype or C57BL/6N females with hemizygous males. Female hemizygotes can get pregnant but die prior to or just after giving birth. This line can also demonstrate reduced fecundity.

HGF-tg mice are commonly used for studying UV-induced melanoma. In combination with oncogenic driver mutations found in melanoma patients, this strain may be useful in the development of immunotherapies.

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