title: Differential changes in transforming growth factor-beta isoform expression during postnatal cardiac growth.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is synthesised as an inactive precursor protein; this is cleaved to produce the mature peptide and a latency associated protein (LAP), which remains associated with the mature peptide until activation by LAP degradation. Isoform specific antibodies raised against the LAPs for TGF-beta 2 and -beta 3 were used to determine the myocardial levels of LAP (activatable TGF-beta) and full length precursor (inactive TGF-beta) forms during post-natal development in the rat. TGF-beta 2 was present predominantly as the precursor in 2 day old myocardium. There was an age-dependent shift from precursor protein to LAP between 2 and 28 days. A corresponding increase in the level of mature (activatable) TGF-beta 2 was found. TGF-beta 3 was detected in significant quantities only as LAP. However, a four-fold increase in the expression of TGF-beta 3 LAP was observed between 2 and 28 days. The substantial increases in activatable forms of TGF-beta 2 and -beta 3 that occur in myocardium during the first 28 days of life in the rat support a role for these proteins in post-natal cardiac development.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research, Rayne Institute, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobie
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chilton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avkiran
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006321:Heart / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011506:Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1