骨形态发生蛋白-13生物学功能及其在肝病研究中的进展

骨形态发生蛋白(bone morphogenetic proteins, BMPs) 是属于TGF-β超家族成员的一组重要细胞因子, 参与细胞分化、增殖和胚胎发育等生理过程。不同的BMPs在脊椎动物中具有不同的功能。在信号通路上, BMPs的功能主要由Smad家族蛋白介导, 后者包括8个成员, 其中Smad1, Smad5和Smad8介导BMPs的信号转导, 而Smad2和mad3介导TGF-β的信号转导。虽然一些BMPs如BMP4和BMP9存在于肝脏, 但肝脏中是否存在BMP13尚未有报道。BMP13, 又名生长分化因子-6(growth differentiation factor 6, GDF6)或软骨来源的形态生成蛋白-2(cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein 2, CDMP2)。研究表明, BMP13参与骨和肌腱的修复, 可刺激腱样细胞的增殖。笔者最新的研究结果揭示肝脏组织中有BMP13的表达并在肝脏代谢异常时具有差异表达。本文主要介绍BMP13生物功能研究的最新进展, 尤其是BMP13在肝脏中的作用。

Prospect of bone morphogenetic protein 13 in liver diseases

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to TGF-β superfamily and are a group of important cytokines involved in cell differentiation, proliferation and embryonic development. Multiple BMPs play important roles in several functions of vertebrates. Signaling pathway of BMPs is known to be mediated by Smad proteins, which include 8 members while Smad1, Smad5 and Smad8 are involved in BMPs signal transduction while Smad2 and Smad3 are mediated TGF-β signal transduction. Although several BMPs such as BMP4 and BMP9 have been documented in the liver, BMP13 has not been examined in the liver. BMP13 also known as growth differentiation factor (GDF)-6 or cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein (CDMP)-2 is one of the BMPs family members. Function of BMP13 has been investigated in bone and tendon repair. It can stimulate tendon-like cell proliferation. However, our recent findings revealed that there was expression of BMP13 in the liver and its expression was modulated during metabolic disorders. The current article is to understand biological function of BMP13 especially in the liver.