activin

Introduction

So named for its property of activating FSH secretion. Member of superfamily of proteins that includes TGF-beta, inhibins, & mullerian inhibitory factor. Inhibins & activins inhibit & activate, respectively, secretion of follitropin by the pituitary gland. They are involved in regulating diverse functions, including:

• hypothalamic hormone secretion
• pituitary hormone secretion
• gonadal hormone secretion
• germ cell development & maturation
• erythroid differentiation
• insulin secretion
• nerve cell survival
• embryonic axial development or bone growth dependent on subunit composition Inhibins appear to oppose the functions of activins. Inhibins are heterodimers of one alpha & one beta subunit Activins are homo- or heterodimers of beta subunits only

More general terms

• glycoprotein
• secreted protein
• multisubunit protein

More specific terms

• activin A
• activin AB
• activin B

Additional terms

• activin receptor

Database

• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/102576