Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 (BMP-7), also known as osteogenic protein 1 (OP-1), and BMP-2 are members of the BMP subgroup of the TGF-beta superfamily and signal through heterodimeric complexes composed of type I and type II BMP receptors. BMP-2 and BMP-7 influence a variety of morphogenic processes, particularly during skeletal and renal development.
BMP-2 and BMP-7 are co-expressed in some embryonic tissues and associate into a functional 38 kDa osteogenic dimer. The heterodimers are significantly more potent than either homodimer in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation assays.
