Rabbit polyclonal antibody to Smad2 (Ab~467)

Members of the SMAD family of signal transduction molecules are components of a critical intracellular pathway that transmit TGF~β signals from the cell surface into the nucleus. Three distinct classes of SMADs have been defined: the receptor~regulated SMADs (R~SMADs), which include SMAD1, 2, 3, 5, and 9; the common~mediator SMAD (co~SMAD), SMAD4; and the antagonistic or inhibitory SMADs (I~SMADs), SMAD6 and 7. Activated type I receptors associate with specific R~SMADs and phosphorylate them on a conserved carboxy~terminal SSXS motif. The phosphorylated R~SMADs dissociate from the receptor and form a heteromeric complex with SMAD4, initiating translocation of the heteromeric SMAD complex to the nucleus. Once in the nucleus, SMADs recruit a variety of DNA binding proteins that function to regulate transcriptional activity.