Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Regulates Development and Activation of CD4(+) T Cells

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are growth factors belonging to the TGF-β (transforming growth factor β) superfamily. BMPs were found to regulate multiple cell processes such as proliferation, survival, differentiation, and apoptosis. They were originally described to play a pivotal role in inducing bone, cartilage, ligament, and tendon formation at both heterotopic and orthotopic sites but were found to play a significant role in embryogenesis and development of multiple tissues and organs. Activities of BMPs are regulated by a number of secreted proteins, which modulate their availability to bind cellular receptors. The functions of individual BMPs are highly redundant due to binding the same receptors and inducing overlapping signal transduction pathways. Recently, BMPs were found to regulate cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. BMPs are involved in thymic development of T cells at the early, double negative, as well as later, double positive, stages of thymopoesis. They specifically modulate thymic development of regulatory T cells (T(reg)). In the periphery, BMPs affect T cell activation, promoting generation of T(reg) cells. We found that mice deficient for one of the receptors activated by BMPs demonstrated slower growth of transplantable melanoma tumors.