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Structural biology

On the wings of inhibition

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.

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Figure 1: Antagonizing growth factors.

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Correspondence to Jeffrey L. Wrana.

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Wrana, J. On the wings of inhibition. Nature 420, 613–614 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/420613a

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