
Thesuperfamilyofinsulin-likegrowthfactor(IGF)bindingproteinsincludethesixhigh-affinityIGFbindingproteins(IGFBP)andseverallow-affinitybindingproteinsreferredtoasIGFBPrelatedproteins(IGFBP-rP).AllIGFBPsuperfamilymembersarecysteine-richproteinswithconservedcysteineresidues,whichareclusteredintheamino-andcarboxy-terminalthirdsofthemolecule.IGFBPsmodulatethebiologicalactivitiesofIGFproteins.SomeIGFBPsmayalsohaveintrinsicbioactivitythatisindependentoftheirabilitytobindIGFproteins.Post-translationalmodificationsofIGFBP,includingglycosylation,phosphorylationandproteolysis,havebeenshowntomodifytheaffinitiesofthebindingproteinstoIGF.
IGBP-5isimportanttodevelopment.Itcouldplayaroleincertaindevelopmentrelateddisorderslikemyotonicdystrophy-1andcancers.
Image: IGFBP5 stainingof paraffin-embeddedhumanlivertissuesections. Tissueswerestainedusinganti-goatHRP-DABCellandTissueStainingKit(brown)andcounterstainedwithhematoxylin(blue).