Description: |
TGF-β family members are key modulators of cell proliferation, differentiation, matrix synthesis, and apoptosis. As implied by their name, BMPs initiate, promote, and regulate the development, growth and remodeling of bone and cartilage. In addition to this role, BMPs are also involved in prenatal development and postnatal growth, remodeling and maintenance of a variety of other tissues and organs. BMP-2 is a potent osteoinductive cytokine, capable of inducing bone and cartilage formation in association with an osteoconductive carrier such as collagen and synthetic hydroxyapatite. In addition to its osteogenic activity, BMP-2 appears to play an important role in cardiac morphogenesis, and is expressed in a variety of other tissues, including lung, liver, spleen, prostate, ovary, and small intestine. The functional form of BMP-2 is a 26 kDa protein composed of two identical 114 amino acid polypeptide chains (monomers) linked by a single disulfide bond. Each BMP-2 monomer is expressed as the C-terminal part of a precursor polypeptide, which also contains a 23 amino acid signal sequence for secretion, and a 259 amino acid propeptide. After dimerization of this precursor, the covalent bonds between the propeptide (which is also a disulfide-linked homodimer) and the mature BMP-2 ligand are cleaved by a furin-type protease. Recombinant Human BMP-2 derived from CHO cells is a homodimeric glycoprotein that consists of two 114 amino acid polypeptide chains linked by a single disulfide bond. Due to glycosylation, CHO cell-derived Human BMP-2 migrates at an apparent molecular weight of approximately 28-29 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing conditions. |
