Small-molecule dissection of BMP signaling

Analysis of the multifunctional bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway has been hampered by the lack of specific reagents for discriminating downstream signaling events. A new study uses a novel zebrafish embryo screen to identify dorsomorphin, the first small-molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, and shows its application in fields as diverse as osteogenesis, developmental patterning and iron homeostasis.