TGF-?¸ SIGNALING AND ITS FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE IN REGULATING THE FATE OF CRANIAL NEURAL CREST CELLS

TGF-?¸ SIGNALING AND ITS FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE IN REGULATING THE FATE OF CRANIAL NEURAL CREST CELLS
2003
By Y. Chai, Y. Ito, J. Han
Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine
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Abstract
Members of the transforming growth factor-?¸ (TGF-?¸) superfamily regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and control the development and maintenance of most tissues. TGF-?¸ signal is transmitted through the phosphorylation of Smad proteins by TGF-?¸ receptor serine/threonine kinase. During craniofacial development, TGF-?¸ may regulate the fate specification of cranial neural crest cells. These cells are multipotent progenitors and capable of producing diverse cell types upon differentiation. Here we summarize evidence that TGF-?¸ ligands and their signaling intermediates have significant roles in patterning and specification of cranial neural crest cells. The biological function of TGF-?¸ is carried out through the regulation of transcriptional factors during embryogenesis.