title: TGF-beta latency: biological significance and mechanisms of activation.
abstract: Transforming growth factor (TGF-) beta is secreted as a latent complex in which the mature growth factor remains associated with its propeptide. In order to elicit a biological response, the cytokine must be released from the latent complex, a process termed latent TGF-beta activation or TGF-beta formation. Although latent TGF-beta activation is a critical step in the regulation of its activity, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that lead to the production of active TGF-beta. In this article, we present an overview of the data available on this topic, and we propose a tentative model for the mechanism of TGF-beta formation based upon the observations with different cell systems and on recent findings on the structure of the latent TGF-beta complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016, USA.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gleizes
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Munger
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Harpel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzieri
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noguera
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rifkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta