The activin A receptor also known as ACVR1C or ALK-7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACVR1C

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

. ACVR1C is a type I receptor for the

TGFB Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor superfamily that includes three different mammalian isoforms (TGF-β 1 to 3, HGNC symbols TGFB1, TGFB2, TGFB3) and many other sign ...

family of signaling molecules. ACVR1C transduces signals of

Nodal Nodal homolog is a secretory protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NODAL'' gene which is located on chromosome 10q22.1. It belongs to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily). Like many other members of this superf ...

binds to

ACVR2B Activin receptor type-2B is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ACVR2B'' gene. ACVR2B is an activin type 2 receptor. Function Activins are dimeric growth and differentiation factors which belong to the transforming growth factor-bet ...

and then forms a complex with ACVR1C. These go on to recruit the R-SMADs

SMAD2 Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 also known as SMAD family member 2 or SMAD2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMAD2'' gene. MAD homolog 2 belongs to the SMAD, a family of proteins similar to the gene products of the ''Dros ...

SMAD3 Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 also known as SMAD family member 3 or SMAD3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMAD3 gene. SMAD3 is a member of the SMAD family of proteins. It acts as a mediator of the signals initiated by t ...

. Upon ligand binding, type I receptors

phosphorylate In chemistry, phosphorylation is the attachment of a phosphate group to a molecule or an ion. This process and its inverse, dephosphorylation, are common in biology and could be driven by natural selection. Text was copied from this source, ...

cytoplasmic SMAD family

transcription factor In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The f ...

s, which then translocate to the nucleus and interact directly with DNA or in complex with other transcription factors.

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Further reading