Guo Xia, Chen Shi-You
Xia Guo, Shi-You Chen, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
World J Biol Chem. 2012 Mar 26;3(3):41-52. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v3.i3.41.
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family members are multifunctional cytokines regulating diverse cellular functions such as growth, adhesion, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. TGF-βs elicit their effects via specific type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors and intracellular Smad transcription factors. Knockout mouse models for the different components of the TGF-β signaling pathway have revealed their critical roles in smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation. Genetic studies in humans have linked mutations in these signaling components to specific cardiovascular disorders such as aorta aneurysm and congenital heart diseases due to SMC defects. In this review, the current understanding of TGF-β function in SMC differentiation is highlighted, and the role of TGF-β signaling in SMC-related diseases is discussed.
转化生长因子(TGF)-β家族成员是多功能细胞因子,可调节多种细胞功能,如生长、黏附、迁移、凋亡和分化。TGF-βs通过特定的I型和II型丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶受体以及细胞内Smad转录因子发挥作用。针对TGF-β信号通路不同组分的基因敲除小鼠模型已揭示了它们在平滑肌细胞(SMC)分化中的关键作用。人类遗传学研究已将这些信号组分中的突变与特定的心血管疾病联系起来,如由于SMC缺陷导致的主动脉瘤和先天性心脏病。在本综述中,重点介绍了目前对TGF-β在SMC分化中功能的理解,并讨论了TGF-β信号在SMC相关疾病中的作用。