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Nature 420, 613-614 (12 December 2002) | doi:10.1038/420613a
Structural biology: On the wings of inhibition
Jeffrey L. Wrana
Abstract
Growth factors regulate cell behaviour, and are kept in check by inhibitors. The structure of a complex of two such proteins shows that they form back-to-back butterflies, with the inhibitor's wings stretching to embrace its partner.
Multicellular organisms use a balance of secreted growth-factor proteins and their inhibitors to coordinate cell behaviour, thereby regulating the development of embryos and maintaining the status quo in adult tissues. On page 636 of this issue, Groppe and colleagues1 describe the structure of one such growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7), in a complex with its inhibitor, the Noggin protein.
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