Human Follistatin-like 4/FSTL4 Antibody

Follistatin-like 4 (FSTL4) is a presumably secreted member of the follistatin domain-containing protein family (1). Follistatin itself is a potent inhibitor of the TGF-beta superfamily member, activin (1, 2), and this activity is reflected in several other proteins of this family that contain varying numbers of the cysteine-rich follistatin domain. Many of these are matrix proteins such as SPARC and testican for which TGF-beta superfamily inhibition status is presumed but unknown (2, 3). R&D Systems recombinant human FSTL4 inhibits the ability of a TGF-beta superfamily member, BMP-6, to induce osteoblast differentiation of a mouse fibroblast cell line. Human FSTL4 cDNA encodes an 842 amino acid (aa) protein containing a 22 aa signal sequence, a follistatin (EGF- and kazal-like) domain, an EF-hand calcium-binding motif, and two Ig-like cell adhesion molecule-type (IgCAM) domains (1, 4). The second IgCAM domain contains a consensus sequence for FGF/FGF receptor interaction (4). Mature human FSTL4 shares 84%, 82% and 82% aa identity with mouse, rat and bovine FSTL4, respectively. Identity with other follistatin-like family members is mainly within consensus residues of the follistatin domain. Of two reported human FSTL4 isoforms, one is missing the follistatin and EF-hand domains, while the other contains all recognized domains, but is truncated after aa 600 (4).