Resumen de TGF-β signaling from a three-dimensional perspective: insight into selection of partners

Serhiy Souchelnytskyi, Aristidis Moustakas, Carl-Henrik Heldin

• Members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family, which include TGF-βs, activins and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), are potent regulators of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. They act through binding to and activating serine/threonine kinase receptors on the cell surface and triggering intracellular signaling pathways in which Smad proteins have essential roles. Here, we discuss recent structure-based studies of TGF-βs and BMPs, their receptors, and of Smad proteins, which have unravelled insights into ligand specificity, receptor and Smad activation, as well as new features of Smads as phosphoserine-binding entities.