ABSTRACT
The growth and differentiation factor transforming growth factor-β2 (TGFβ2) is thought to play important roles in multiple developmental processes. Targeted disruption of the TGF β2 gene was undertaken to determine its essential role in vivo. TGFβ2-null mice exhibit perinatal mortality and a wide range of developmental defects for a single gene disruption. These include cardiac, lung, craniofacial, limb, spinal column, eye, inner ear and urogenital defects. The developmental processes most commonly involved in the affected tissues include epithelial-mesenchymal interac-tions, cell growth, extracellular matrix production and tissue remodeling. In addition, many affected tissues have neural crest-derived components and simulate neural crest deficiencies. There is no phenotypic overlap with TGFβ1- and TGF β3-null mice indicating numerous non-compen-sated functions between the TGFβ isoforms.
