Background of the antigen
Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF Beta superfamily. BMPs are involved in the induction of cartilage and bone formation. In vivo studies have shown that BMP-2 (also designated BMP-2A) and BMP-3 can independently induce cartilage formation. Smad3 association with the TGF Beta receptor complex and Smad1 translocation to the nucleus are observed after the addition of BMP-4 (also designated BMP-2B), suggesting that BMP-4 may play a role in activation of the Smad pathway. BMP-5, BMP-6 and BMP-7 all share high sequence homology with BMP-2, indicating that they each may be able to induce cartilage formation. BMP-8 (also designated OP-2) is thought to be involved in early development, as detectable expression has not been found in adult organs.
