title: Type III TGF-beta receptor-independent signalling of TGF-beta2 via TbetaRII-B, an alternatively spliced TGF-beta type II receptor.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signals through membrane-bound serine/threonine kinase receptors, which upon stimulation phosphorylate Smad proteins and thereby trigger their nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity. Although the three mammalian isoforms of TGF-beta are highly homologous at the level of sequence, analysis of their in vivo function by gene knockouts revealed striking differences, suggesting no significant functional redundancy between TGF-beta1, -2 and -3. While signal transduction by TGF-beta1 has been well characterized, receptor binding and activation by the TGF-beta2 isoform is less well understood. Here, we show that TbetaRII-B, an alternatively spliced variant of the TGF-beta type II receptor, is a TGF-beta2 binding receptor, which mediates signalling via the Smad pathway in the absence of any TGF-beta type III receptor (TbetaRIII). L6 cells lacking endogenous TbetaRIII as well as TbetaRII-B do not respond to TGF-beta2. Transfection of these cells with TbetaRII-B restores TGF-beta2 sensitivity. The expression of TbetaRII-B is restricted to cells originating from tissues such as bone where the isoform TGF-beta2 has a predominant role. This reflects the importance of this receptor in TGF-beta isoform-specific signalling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Chemistry II, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sebald
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knaus
mesh_terms: D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004220:Disulfides; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C509041:TGFB2 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; C071736:betaglycan; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II