title: Agonists and Antagonists of TGF-β Family Ligands.
abstract: The discovery of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family ligands and the realization that their bioactivities need to be tightly controlled temporally and spatially led to intensive research that has identified a multitude of extracellular modulators of TGF-β family ligands, uncovered their functions in developmental and pathophysiological processes, defined the mechanisms of their activities, and explored potential modulator-based therapeutic applications in treating human diseases. These studies revealed a diverse repertoire of extracellular and membrane-associated molecules that are capable of modulating TGF-β family signals via control of ligand availability, processing, ligand-receptor interaction, and receptor activation. These molecules include not only soluble ligand-binding proteins that were conventionally considered as agonists and antagonists of TGF-β family of growth factors, but also extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and proteoglycans that can serve as "sink" and control storage and release of both the TGF-β family ligands and their regulators. This extensive network of soluble and ECM modulators helps to ensure dynamic and cell-specific control of TGF-β family signals. This article reviews our knowledge of extracellular modulation of TGF-β growth factors by diverse proteins and their molecular mechanisms to regulate TGF-β family signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294.
authors.forename: Chenbei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D011509:Proteoglycans; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta