ACTIVIN STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS

激活素是一种多能激素/生长因子，参与重要的生物学功能，包括生殖、发育、细胞分化和生存。这个项目研究通过这种蛋白质导致信号传播的分子事件。激活素与两类细胞表面突变激活素分子相互作用，研究启动信号转导的事件。我们将使用本计划获得的X射线晶体和诱变数据来设计这些突变体。与激活素II型受体的最初相互作用将被详细分析。将研究与这些事件的I类调控相互作用的机制。为了进一步了解相关蛋白质激活素和转化生长因子β的具体活性，我们将产生嵌合分子，并在针对这些因子的生物系统中测试这些嵌合分子。

Activin is a pluripotent hormone/growth factor that is involved in important biological functions including reproduction, development, and cell differentiation and survival. This Project studies the molecular events that lead to signal propagation by this protein. Activin interacts with two classes of cell surface mutant activin molecules to study the events that initiate signal transduction. We will employ X-ray crystallographic and mutagenesis data obtained by this Program to design these mutants. The initial interaction with activin type II receptors will be analyzed in detail. The mechanism of interaction with type I regulation of these events will be investigated. To further our understanding of the specific activities of the related proteins activin and TGFbeta, we will generate chimeric molecules and test these in biological systems specific for each of these factors.