Function of bone morphogenetic protein signaling during mouse development

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play pleiotropic roles during development and after birth in many different organisms. BMPs are members of TGF-beta superfamily. There are more than 20 members with three type II receptors and three type I receptors. Genetic approaches using the mouse as a model system revealed many of the functions of BMPs. Particularly, results obtained through loss-of-function analyses of BMP ligands and their receptors are reviewed in this article.