Smads and chromatin modulation

Smad proteins are critical intracellular effector proteins and regulators of transforming growth factor type beta (TGF beta) modulated gene transcription. They directly convey signals that initiate at ligand-bound receptor complexes and end in the nucleus with changes in programs of gene expression. Activated Smad proteins seem to recruit chromatin modifying proteins to target genes besides cooperating with DNA-bound transcription factors. We survey here the current and still emerging knowledge on Smad-binding factors, and their different mechanisms of chromatin modification in particular, in Smad-dependent TGF beta signaling. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.