[Homeostasis and Disorder of Musculoskeletal System.BMP and TGF signaling and locomotive tissues.].

BMP(bone morphogenetic protein)and TGF-β(transforming growth factor-β)form a family and play an important role from formation of bone, cartilage and skeletal muscle to their homeostasis. BMP and TGF-β transduce their signals through the cell surface type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ serine/threonine kinase receptors and the intracellular Smad proteins. Several factors regulate BMP and TGF-β signals including activation mechanisms and antagonist outside the cell, co-receptor in the cell membrane, and dephosphorylation by phosphatase and modification/degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the cell. In this section, we outline the functions, roles and related diseases of BMP and TGF-βfamily molecules and signal transduction in locomotive tissues.