Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily members are critical regulators of cell proliferation and differentiation, developmental patterning and morphogenesis, and disease pathogenesis. TGFβs mediate their activity by high affinity binding to the type II receptor (TGFβ RII) transmembrane protein with a cytoplasmic serine-threonine kinase domain. For signaling growth inhibition and early gene responses, TGFβ RII requires both its kinase activity and association with a TGFβ-binding protein, designated the type I receptor. TGFβ RII exists as two alternatively spliced isoforms that are encoded by a gene that maps to human chromosome 3.
