RESUMEN
Betaglycan (BG) is a membrane-bound co-receptor of the TGF-ß family that selectively binds transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) isoforms and inhibin A (InhA) to enable temporal-spatial patterns of signaling essential for their functions in vivo Here, using NMR titrations of methyl-labeled TGF-ß2 with BG's C-terminal binding domain, BGZP-C, and surface plasmon resonance binding measurements with TGF-ß2 variants, we found that the BGZP-C-binding site on TGF-ß2 is located on the inner surface of its extended finger region. Included in this binding site are Ile-92, Lys-97, and Glu-99, which are entirely or mostly specific to the TGF-ß isoforms and the InhA α-subunit, but they are unconserved in other TGF-ß family growth factors (GFs). In accord with the proposed specificity-determining role of these residues, BG bound bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) weakly or not at all, and TGF-ß2 variants with the corresponding residues from BMP-2 bound BGZP-C more weakly than corresponding alanine variants. The BGZP-C-binding site on InhA previously was reported to be located on the outside of the extended finger region, yet at the same time to include Ser-112 and Lys-119, homologous to TGF-ß2 Ile-92 and Lys-97, on the inside of the fingers. Therefore, it is likely that both TGF-ß2 and InhA bind BGZP-C through a site on the inside of their extended finger regions. Overall, these results identify the BGZP-C-binding site on TGF-ß2 and shed light on the specificity of BG for select TGF-ß-type GFs and the mechanisms by which BG influences their signaling.