| 摘要 |
The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of a novel subgroup of activins/inhibins, herein referred to as liver activins, that during vertebrate adult life are specifically expressed in the liver. The invention relates to the activin beta C and beta E subunits and other members of the liver activin subgroup. The invention encompasses liver activin nucleotides; liver activin genomic regulatory elements that regulate the expression of liver activins; host cell expression systems; liver activin proteins, fusion proteins, polypeptides and peptides; antibodies to liver activin protein, transgenic animals that express a liver activin; recombinant knock-out animals that do not express liver activin(s); antagonists and agonists of the liver activins; and other compounds that modulate liver activin gene expression activity to regulate cell growth and/or differentiation and to diagnose and treat abnormalities related thereto. In addition, the present invention encompasses methods and compositions for the regulation of cell growth and/or differentiation including, but not limited to, stimulating liver regeneration, bone growth and hematopoiesis.
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