Bone morphogenetic protein 4

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by BMP4 gene. BMP4 is found on chromosome 14q22-q23. BMP4 is a member of the bone morphogenetic protein family which is part of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily. The superfamily includes large families of growth and differentiation factors. BMP4 is highly conserved evolutionarily. BMP4 is found in early embryonic development in the ventral marginal zone and in the eye, heart blood and otic vesicle. Bone morphogenetic proteins were originally identified by an ability of demineralized bone extract to induce endochondral osteogenesis in vivo in an extraskeletal site. BMP4 is a polypeptide belonging to the TGF-β superfamily of proteins. It, like other bone morphogenetic proteins, is involved in bone and cartilage development, specifically tooth and limb development and fracture repair. This particular family member plays an important role in the onset of endochondral bone formation in humans. It has been shown to be involved in muscle development, bone mineralization, and ureteric bud development. BMP4 stimulates differentiation of overlying ectodermal tissue. Bone morphogenetic proteins are known to stimulate bone formation in adult animals. This is thought that inducing osteoblastic commitment and differentiation of stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells.BMPs are known to play a large role in embryonic development. In the embryo BMP4 helps establish dorsal-ventral axis formation in Xenopus frog through inducing ventral mesoderm. In mice targeted inactivation of BMP4 disrupts mesoderm from forming. As well establishes dorsal-ventral patterning of the developing neural tube with the help of BMP7, and inducing dorsal characters. BMP4 also limits the extent to which neural differentiation in Xenopus embryos occurs by inducing epidermis formation rather than neural tissue. They can aid in inducing the lateral characteristics in somites. Somites are required for the development of cartilage, bone, dermis on the dorsal side of the body, thoracic muscles and muscles within limbs.