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Publication Abstract from PubMed

The TGF-beta superfamily of ligands and receptors stimulate cellular events in diverse processes ranging from cell fate specification in development to immune suppression. Activins define a major subgroup of TGF-beta ligands that regulate cellular differentiation, proliferation, activation and apoptosis. Activins signal through complexes formed with type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors. We have solved the crystal structure of activin A bound to the extracellular domain of a type II receptor, ActRIIB, revealing the details of this interaction. ActRIIB binds to the outer edges of the activin finger regions, with the two receptors juxtaposed in close proximity, in a mode that differs from TGF-beta3 binding to type II receptors. The dimeric activin A structure differs from other known TGF-beta ligand structures, adopting a compact folded-back conformation. The crystal structure of the complex is consistent with recruitment of two type I receptors into a close packed arrangement at the cell surface and suggests that diversity in the conformational arrangements of TGF-beta ligand dimers could influence cellular signaling processes.

Structures of an ActRIIB:activin A complex reveal a novel binding mode for TGF-beta ligand:receptor interactions.,Thompson TB, Woodruff TK, Jardetzky TS EMBO J. 2003 Apr 1;22(7):1555-66. PMID:12660162^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.