TMEM100: A novel intracellular transmembrane protein essential for vascular development and cardiac morphogenesis

Abstract

Among members of the TGFβ superfamily, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 9 and BMP10 regulate vascular endothelium differentiation and morphogenesis by activating the specific receptor complex, which consists of ALK1 (or ACVRL1), BMPR2, and endoglin. Mutations in ACVRL1, BMPR2, or ENG are associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans [1, 2]. We previously identified TMEM100 as a downstream target gene of BMP9/BMP10-ALK1 signaling pathway [3]. TMEM100 is a novel intracellular protein with two putative transmembrane domains, and its amino acid sequence is highly conserved from fish to humans.