title: Binding proteins for the insulin-like growth factors: structure, regulation and function.
abstract: Binding proteins for the insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) are increasingly being recognized as modulators of IGF actions in both inhibitory and stimulatory ways. At least three distinct classes of binding protein are thought to exist, differing in their primary structures and binding characteristics, although all are able to bind both IGF-I and IGF-II. This review outlines the purification and characterization of the binding proteins that have been identified to date, and describes the regulation of their production and of their levels in the circulation. Current views on their potential biological roles are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW Australia.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II