Background
ThethreemammalianisoformsofTGF-β,TGF-β1,β2,β3,signalthroughthesamereceptorandelicitsimilarBIOLOGicalresponses.Theyaremultifunctionalcytokinesthatregulatecellproliferation,growth,differentiationandmotilityaswellassynthesisanddepositionoftheextracellularmatrix.Theyareinvolvedinvariousphysiologicalprocessesincludingembryogenesis,tissueremodelingandwoundhealing.Theyaresecretedpredominantlyaslatentcomplexeswhicharestoredatthecellsurfaceandintheextracellularmatrix.ThereleaseofbiologicallyactiveTGF-βisoformfromalatentcomplexinvolvesproteolyticprocessingofthecomplexand/orinductionofconformationalchangesbyproteinssuchasthrombospondin-1.TGF-β1isthemostabundantisoformsecretedbyalmosteverycelltype.ItwasoriginallyidentifiedforitsABIlitytoinducephenotypictransformationoffibroblastsandrecentlyithasbeenimplicatedintheformationofskintumors.HumanTGF-β1isa25.0kDaproteinwitheachsubunitcontaining112aminoacidresidues,linkedbyasingledisulfidebond.
Specifications