| 背景信息 |
Endoglin (ENG), also known as CD105, is a type I membrane glycoprotein primarily associated with human vascular endothelium. It is part of the TGF-beta receptor complex and plays a crucial role in angiogenesis, which is essential for tumor growth, survival, and metastasis of cancer cells. Structurally, endoglin consists of a homodimer of 180 kDA stabilized by intermolecular disulfide bonds, with a large extracellular domain, a hydrophobic transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. Functionally, it acts as an auxiliary receptor for the TGF-beta receptor complex, modulating responses to TGF-beta1, TGF-beta3, activin-A, BMP-2, BMP-7, and BMP-9, and is involved in cytoskeletal organization, affecting cell morphology and migration. Mutations in the ENG gene are associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1 (HHT1), a disorder characterized by vascular malformations and bleeding. The protein's expression is regulated during heart development, and experimental mice lacking the endoglin gene die due to cardiovascular abnormalities. |