title: Recent advances in understanding transforming growth factor beta regulation of orofacial development.
abstract: Members of the transforming growth factor (TGF) family have emerged as critical contributors to the choreography of cellular and tissue interactions underlying morphogenesis of the orofacial region. The TGFs beta, and their downstream effector molecules, the Smads, play a pivotal role in normal as well as abnormal development of first branchial arch structures. Components of the TGFbeta signal transduction machinery are discussed in relation to regulation of transcription, cell division and tissue differentiation in developing orofacial tissue, as evidence for a functional linkage between the TGFbeta and retinoic acid signal transduction pathways during orofacial development.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville Birth Defects Center, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Craniofacial Biology, ULSD, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. greene@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: M Michele
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pisano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000254:growth & development*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D051785:Smad Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051785:Smad Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta