血管生成系及其相关蛋白的研究进展

对血管生成素及其相关蛋白的研究进展和分子生物学特性进行了综述，迄今，已经发现了4种血管生成素及某些血管生成素的同工蛋白或变异体。这些蛋白质具有共同的结构，即氨基端与分泌相关的信号肽，介导同源寡聚体形成的螺旋样结构域，和羧基末端介导配体活性的纤维蛋白原样结构域。血管生成素均可与Tie-2受体结合，但只有血管生成素1和4可激活Tie-2受体。血管生成素1和4为效应剂而血管生成素2和3为拮抗剂。对于血管生成素是否可与Tie-1结合尚不清楚。血管生成素相关蛋白具有公认的血管生成素的特征性结构，对其功能及其作用途径还不十分了解，有待于进一步研究。Tie-1和Tie-2的其他配体以及血管生成素相关蛋白类似物的特异受体有可能在今后得到阐明。

Angiopoietins and Angiopoietin-Related Proteins:Their Molecular and Biological Properties

The advantages and progresses of investigations on angiopoietins, angiopoietin related proteins and their molecular and biological properties have been reviewed. Four members of angiopoietins family and some isoforms or variants of them have been found so far. These proteins contain similar structures of a signal sequence (related to secretion) in amino terminus, a coiled coil quaternary structure (mediated distinct homo oligomerization patterns) and a fibrinogen like domain in C terminus (which mediated ligand activity). Angiopoietins bind to Tie 2, but only Ang1 and Ang4 could activate Tie 2 receptor. Ang1 and Ang4 acts as agonists while Ang2 and mAng3 play a role as antagonists. It is still unclear whether they utilize the closely related receptor Tie 1. Angiopoietin related proteins (ARPs) contained putative characteristic structures of angiopoietins and act as similar as angiopoietins. Their functions and pathways are not yet completely understood, remain to be characterized. Not only additional ligand(s) for Tie 1 and/or Tie 2, but also the special receptor(s) for ARPs, should be identified in future.