Annes Justin P, Munger John S, Rifkin Daniel B
Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
J Cell Sci. 2003 Jan 15;116(Pt 2):217-24. doi: 10.1242/jcs.00229.
TGFbeta is secreted as part of a latent complex that is targeted to the extracellular matrix. A variety of molecules, 'TGFbeta activators,' release TGFbeta from its latent state. The unusual temporal discontinuity of TGFbeta synthesis and action and the panoply of TGFbeta effects contribute to the interest in TGF-beta. However, the logical connections between TGFbeta synthesis, storage and action are obscure. We consider the latent TGFbeta complex as an extracellular sensor in which the TGFbeta propeptide functions as the detector, latent-TGFbeta-binding protein (LTBP) functions as the localizer, and TGF-beta functions as the effector. Such a view provides a logical continuity for various aspects of TGFbeta biology and allows us to appreciate TGFbeta biology from a new perspective.
转化生长因子β（TGFβ）以潜在复合物的形式分泌，该复合物靶向细胞外基质。多种分子，即“TGFβ激活剂”，可使TGFβ从其潜伏状态释放出来。TGFβ合成与作用的异常时间间断性以及TGFβ效应的多样性引发了人们对TGF-β的兴趣。然而，TGFβ合成、储存与作用之间的逻辑联系尚不清楚。我们将潜在的TGFβ复合物视为一种细胞外传感器，其中TGFβ前肽起检测器的作用，潜在TGFβ结合蛋白（LTBP）起定位器的作用，而TGF-β起效应器的作用。这种观点为TGFβ生物学的各个方面提供了逻辑上的连贯性，并使我们能够从一个新的角度理解TGFβ生物学。
