Growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5)

Growth factor involved in cartilage and bone formation. During cartilage development regulates differentiation of chondrogenic tissue via two pathways.

Primarily, positively regulates differentiation of chondrogenic tissue through its binding of high affinity with BMPR1B and of less affinity with BMPR1A, leading to induction of SMAD1-SMAD5-SMAD8 complicated phosphorylation and then SMAD protein signaling transduction (PubMed:24098149, PubMed:21976273, PubMed:15530414, PubMed:25092592). Second, negatively regulates chondrogenic differentiation through its interaction with NOG (PubMed:21976273).