Cross Talk among TGF-β Signaling Pathways, Integrins, and the Extracellular Matrix

  1. Dean Sheppard2
  1. 1Departments of Medicine and Cell Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10016
  2. 2Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-2922
  1. Correspondence: john.munger{at}nyumc.org

Abstract

The growth factor TGF-β is secreted in a latent complex consisting of three proteins: TGF-β, an inhibitor (latency-associated protein, LAP, which is derived from the TGF-β propeptide) and an ECM-binding protein (one of the latent TGF-β binding proteins, or LTBPs). LTBPs interact with fibrillins and other ECM components and thus function to localize latent TGF-β in the ECM. LAP contains an integrin-binding site (RGD), and several RGD-binding integrins are able to activate latent TGF-β through binding this site. Mutant mice defective in integrin-mediated activators, and humans and mice with fibrillin gene mutations, show the critical role of ECM and integrins in regulating TGF-β signaling.



Also in this Collection

      | Table of Contents

      This Article

      1. Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Biol. 3: a005017 Copyright © 2011 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved

      Article Category

      Updates/Comments

      1. Submit Updates/Comments
      2. No Updates/Comments published

      Subject Collections

      1. Extracellular Matrix Biology

      Share

      In this Collection