Enables growth factor activity. Involved in several processes, including female gamete generation; positive regulation of macromolecule metabolic process; and positive regulation of mitotic nuclear division. Located in extracellular space. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in extrapulmonary tuberculosis; pulmonary tuberculosis; and tuberculosis. Orthologous to human EREG (epiregulin). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]