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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2020 Oct 6;57:39–54. doi: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2020.09.003

Table 1. Interactions between ligands and receptors in the TGF-β family.

Ligand (protein/gene) Type II receptors Type I receptors References
Inhibina/INHA ActRIIA, ActRIIB No type 1 receptor 48
Activin Ab/INHBA BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK2, ALK4, ALK5, ALK7 5, 59, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
Activin Bb/INHBB BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK2, ALK4, ALK5, ALK7 5, 122, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136
Activin Cb/INHBC ActRIIA, ActRIIB No type 1 receptor 49
Activin Eb/INHBE N.D. N.D.
TGF-β1/TGFB1 TGFβRII ALK5, ALK1 14, 59, 129, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141
TGF-β2/TGFB2 TGFβRII ALK5 14, 139, 142
TGF-β3/TGFB3 TGFβRII ALK5, ALK1 14, 139, 140, 141
BMP-2/BMP2 BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK2, ALK3, ALK6 134, 143, 144, 145, 146
BMP-3/BMP3 ActRIIB No type 1 receptor 51, 147
BMP-4/BMP4 BMPRII, ActRIIB ALK3, ALK6 5, 146, 148, 149
BMP-5/BMP5 N.D. ALK2, ALK3, ALK6 120, 150, 151
BMP-6 (VGR1)/BMP6 BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK2, ALK3, ALK6 5, 143, 147
BMP-7 (OP-1)/BMP7 BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK2, ALK3, ALK6 5, 134, 144, 145, 148, 149, 152
BMP-8A (OP-2)/BMP8A N.D. N.D.
BMP-8B (OP-3)/BMP8B N.D. N.D.
BMP-9/GDF2 BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK1, ALK2 5, 6, 20, 21, 121, 153, 154, 155
BMP-10/BMP10 BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK1-3, ALK6 5, 21, 154, 155, 156, 157
GDF-1/GDF1 ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK4, ALK7 158, 159, 160
GDF-3 (VGR2)/GDF3 ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK4, ALK7 158, 161, 162
GDF-5 (BMP-14)/GDF5 BMPRII, ActRIIA ALK3, ALK6 134, 163
GDF-6 (BMP-13)/GDF6 BMPRII, ActRIIA ALK3, ALK6 157, 163
GDF-7 (BMP12)/GDF7 BMPRII, ActRIIA ALK3, ALK6 157
GDF-8 (Myostatin)/MSTN ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK4, ALK5, ALK7 5, 10, 131, 133, 164
GDF-9/GDF9 BMPRII ALK5, ALK6 165, 166, 167
GDF-9B/BMP15 BMPRII ALK3, ALK6 168, 169, 170
GDF-10 (BMP-3b)/GDF10 TGFβRII, ActRIIA ALK4, ALK5 171, 172
GDF-11 (BMP-11)/GDF11 ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK4, ALK5, ALK7 5, 131, 133, 173, 174
GDF-15c/GDF15 No type II receptord No type I receptord 126, 127
MIS/AMH AMHRII ALK2, ALK3, ALK6 175
Nodal/NODAL BMPRII, ActRIIA, ActRIIB ALK4 5, 52, 176
Lefty1/LEFTY1 ActRIIA, ActRIIB No type 1 receptor 52
Lefty2/LEFTY2 ActRIIA, ActRIIB No type 1 receptor 52

N.D.: not determined

a

Inhibin A and inhibin B are heterodimers of the inhibin α (INHA) monomer and an inhibin β monomer, βA (INHBA) or βB (INHBB), respectively.

b

The activins are homodimers of inhibin β monomers, but heterodimers of the inhibin β monomers also exist.

c

GDF-15 was recently shown to signal via GFRAL, an orphan receptor of the glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) receptor α family and previous reports indicating GDF-15 signaling through TGF-β receptors was likely a result of contaminated protein batches.126, 127