BMPs (Bone Morphogenetic Proteins) belong to the TGF-beta superfamily of structurally related signaling proteins. BMP-2 is a potent osteoinductive cytokine, capable of inducing bone and cartilage formation in association with osteoconductive carriers such as collagen and synthetic hydroxyapatite. In addition to its osteogenic activity, BMP-2 plays an important role in cardiac morphogenesis and is expressed in a variety of tissues including lung, spleen, brain, liver, prostate ovary and small intestine. The functional form of BMP-2 is a 26 kDa protein composed of two identical 114 amino acid polypeptide chains linked by a single disulfide bond. Each BMP-2 monomer is expressed as the C-terminal part of a precursor polypeptide, which also contains a 23 amino acid signal sequence for secretion, and a 259 amino acid propeptide. After dimerization of this precursor, the covalent bonds between the propeptide (which is also a disulfide-linked homodimer) and the mature BMP-2 ligand are cleaved by a furin-type protease. Recombinant human BMP-2 is a 26.0 kDa homodimeric protein consisting of two 115 amino acid polypeptide chains.

MQAKHKQRKR LKSSCKRHPL YVDFSDVGWN DWIVAPPGYH AFYCHGECPF PLADHLNSTN HAIVQTLVNS VNSKIPKACC VPTELSAISM LYLDENEKVV LKNYQDMVVE GCGCR