Invitrogen™ Human/Mouse/Rat BMP-2 ELISA Development Kit (ABTS), PeproTech®

Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) are members of the TGF-beta superfamily that affect bone and cartilage formation (Hogan 1996, Reddi 1998 and Francis-West et al. 1999). Mature BMPs are 30-38 kDa proteins that assume a TGF-beta -like cysteine knot configuration. Lovostatin increases bone formation by turning on the bmp-2 gene (Mundy et al. 1999). BMPs stimulate the production of specific bone matrix proteins and alter stromal cell and osteoclast proliferation (Macias et al. 1999, Lecanda et al. 1997). BMPs may also be an important factor for development of the viscera, with roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and morphogenesis (Hogan 1996, Dale and Wardle 1999). BMPs appear to be responsible for normal dorsal/ventral patterning. Like TGF-beta, BMPs bind to a type II receptor, which then recruits the transducing type I receptor unit, activating the Smad protein signaling pathway (Massague 1994, Derynck 1997, Attisano 1993).