活化素C和活化素E的研究进展

Advances in research of activins C and E

活化素(Activins)是生长转化因子β(trans-forming growth factorbeta,TGF-β)超家族成员,由β亚基通过二硫键连接而成的二聚体结构细胞因子,具有广泛的生物学功能.在哺乳动物细胞中发现有4种β亚基:βA、βB、βC和βE.ActivinA由2个βA亚基单体连接而成,在多种组织中广泛表达,通过其信号转导通路调控生殖和胚胎发育过程、调节红细胞分化、参与病理炎症过程、诱导细胞凋亡、促进损伤后的修复过程,并参与器官纤维化的形成等.而βC和βE亚基由于发现较晚,功能尚不清楚;因为βC和βE亚基在肝脏内高表达,本文就两者在肝脏中的研究进展进行综述.

Activins, which consist of two disulfide-linked β subunits, are members of the transforming growth factor β （TGF-β） superfamily of growth factors. Four mammalian activin β subunits, termed as βA, βB, βC, and βE respectively, have been identified. Activin A, the homodimer of two βA subunits, is a pleiotropic cytokine and is expressed in many tissues and cells. There has been compelling evidence that activin A is involved in the regulation of reproductive biology, embryonic development, erythroid differentiation, systemic inflammation, induced apoptosis, tissue repair, fibrogenesis and so on, through classic activin signaling pathway, βC and βE subunits, which are almost exclusively expressed in the liver, are still quite incompletely understood. In this review, we summarize and discuss the function of βC and βE subunits in liver. Further research should be made to understand the biological role of the βC and βE subunits.