Activin A

Alias: INHBA, Inhibin beta A

Activin A is a member of the TGFβ superfamily of proteins. Activins are dimeric proteins formed by the association of two of the four existing β subunits, βA, βB, βC, and βE. These subunits are shared with the inhibin proteins, which are heterodimers of one β and one α chain. Activin A is a homodimer of two 13 kDa βA subunits, which can also associate with βB or βC to form Activin AB or AC, respectively. Activin A is expressed by various cell types and exhibits pleiotropic effects including the regulation of metabolism, homeostasis, cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, and tissue healing. Activin A has been recently reported to work in synergy with TGFβ to promote the induction of antigen specific iTReg cells leading to inhibition of TH1 and TH2-mediated responses.