Gene Description
SMAD family member 2

Alternative Names
JV18; MADH2; MADr2; JV18-1; hMAD-2; hsMAD2; MGC22139; MGC34440

Molecular Weight
60 kDa

Summary
The family of proteins similar to the gene products of the Drosophila gene 'mothers against decapentaplegic' (Mad) and the C. elegans gene Sma. SMAD proteins are signal transducers and transcriptional modulators that mediate multiple signaling pathways. This protein mediates the signal of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, and thus regulates multiple cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, This protein can also be phosphorylated by activin type 1 receptor kinase, and mediates the signal from activin. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been observed.¹