Structural biology of betaglycan and endoglin, membrane-bound co-receptors of the TGF-beta family

Abstract

Betaglycan and endoglin, membrane-bound co-receptors of the TGF-β family, are required to mediate the signaling of a select subset of TGF-β family ligands, TGF-β2 and InhA, and BMP-9 and BMP-10, respectively. Previous biochemical and biophysical methods suggested alternative modes of ligand binding might be responsible for these co-receptors to selectively recognize and potentiate the functions of their ligands, yet the molecular details were lacking. Recent progress determining structures of betaglycan and endoglin, both alone and as bound to their cognate ligands, is presented herein. The structures reveal relatively minor, but very significant structural differences that lead to entirely different modes of ligand binding. The different modes of binding nonetheless share certain commonalities, such as multivalency, which imparts the co-receptors with very high affinity for their cognate ligands, but at the same time provides a mechanism for release by stepwise binding of the signaling receptors, both of which are essential for their functions.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 10, 2019
Source ID
10.1177/1535370219881160

Entities

People

  • Andrew P Hinck
  • Morkos A. Henen
  • Sun Kyung Kim

Organizations

  • American Heart Association
  • Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
  • Mansoura University
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Robert A. Welch Foundation
  • United States Army Medical Command
  • University of California, San Francisco
  • University of Pittsburgh

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Breast cancer cell signaling and growth regulation.
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology - Cancer Biotech