Different Immunoregulation Roles of Activin A Compared With TGF-β

Fanglin Li; Yiru Long; Xiaolu Yu; Yongliang Tong; Likun Gong

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.921366

Different Immunoregulation Roles of Activin A Compared With TGF-β

Front Immunol. 2022 Jun 14:13:921366. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921366. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Fanglin Li^{1

2}, Yiru Long^{1

2}, Xiaolu Yu^{1

2}, Yongliang Tong^{1

2}, Likun Gong^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
² University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, China.

Abstract

Activin A, a critical member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, is a pluripotent factor involved in allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancers and other diseases with immune disorder. Similar to its family member, TGF-β, activin A also transmits signals through SMAD2/SMAD3, however, they bind to distinct receptors. Recent studies have uncovered that activin A plays a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immune systems. Here we mainly focus its effects on activation, differentiation, proliferation and function of cells which are indispensable in the immune system and meanwhile make some comparisons with those of TGF-β.

Keywords: B cells; T effector cells; TGF-β; activin A; activin A signaling; dendritic cells; macrophages; regulatory T cells.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Activins / metabolism
Signal Transduction / physiology
Trans-Activators* / metabolism
Transforming Growth Factor beta* / metabolism

Substances

Trans-Activators
Transforming Growth Factor beta
activin A
Activins