• Purity

  >95%, by SDS-PAGE with silver staining.

• Endotoxin Level

  <0.10 EU per 1 μg of the protein by the LAL method.  

• Activity

  Measured by its ability to induce alkaline phosphatase production by ATDC5 mouse chondrogenic cells. Nakamura, K.     et al. (1999) Exp. Cell Res.     250:351. The ED    ₅₀ for this effect is typically 0.25-1.25 μg/mL.

• Source

  E. coli-derived Thr322-Arg450

• Accession #

• N-terminal Sequence    
  Analysis

  Thr322

• Structure / Form

  Disulfide-linked homodimer

• Predicted Molecular Mass

  14 kDa

• SDS-PAGE

  14 kDa, reducing conditions

Data Images

Background: GDF-7/BMP-12

Growth Differentiation Factor-7 (GDF-7; also called BMP-12 and CDMP-3) is a member of the BMP family of TGF-beta superfamily proteins (1, 2). GDF-7 is synthesized as a large precursor protein that consists of an N--terminal 19 amino acid (aa) signal sequence, a 302 aa pro region and a 129 aa C-terminal mature peptide. At the amino acid level, mature human GDF-7 shares 85% and 88% aa sequence identity with mature GDF-7 in mouse and rat, respectively. Mature human GDF-7 lacks a glycine repeat that is found in both mouse and rat GDF-7. Based on sequence similarity, GDF-7 is categorized with GDF-5 and -6, as a subgroup within the BMP family. GDF-7 functions as a homodimer and elicits its bioactivity by mediating the formation of a heterodimeric receptor complex consisting of a type 1 (BMPR-IB) and a type II (BMPR-II or Activin RII) serine/threonine kinase receptor. GDF-7 signaling results in the phosphorylation and activation of cytosolic Smad proteins (Smad1, 5, and 8) (3, 4). GDF-7 is involved in tendon and ligament formation and repair (5-8). GDF-7 also regulates bone formation, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, neuronal differentiation, and axon guidance in the central nervous system (9-12).

• References:

1. Storm, E.E. et al. (1994) Nature 368:639.

2. Hotten, G. et al. (1994) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 204:646.

3. Nishitoh, H. et al. (1996) J Biol Chem 271:21345.

4. Mueller, T.D. and J. Nickel (2012) FEBS Lett 586:1846.

5. Fu, S.C. et al. (2003) Life Sci 72:2965.

6. Gulati, B.R. et al. (2013) Cells Tissues Organs 198:377.

7. Shen, H. et al. (2013) PLoS One 8:e77613.

8. Sena, K. et al. (2003) J Dent Res 82:166.

9. Butler, S.J. and J. Dodd (2003) Neuron 38:389.

10. Watakabe, A. et al. (2001) J Neurochem 76:1455.

11. Lou, J. et al. (2001) J Orthop Res 19:1199.

12. Wang, Q.W. et al. (2005) J Biosci Bioeng 100:418.

• Long Name:

  Growth Differentiation Factor 7

• Entrez Gene IDs:

  151449 (Human); 238057 (Mouse)

• Alternate Names:

  BMP12; BMP-12; GDF7; GDF-7; growth differentiation factor 7; growth/differentiation factor 7