Our research focuses on the role of two structurally unrelated growth and differentiation factors, transforming growth factors-alpha and -beta, in epithelial and mesenchymal cell proliferation and differentiation. We use various cell biological, molecular and biochemical approaches to address cell physiological and developmental questions.

Selected Publications

Skillington, J.S., Choy, L., and Derynck, R. (2002) Bone morphogenetic protein and retinoic acid signaling cooperate to induce osteoblast differentiation of pre-adipocytes. J. Cell Biol. 159: 135-146.

Choy, L. and Derynck, R. (2003) Transforming growth factor-beta inhibits adipocyte differentiation by Smad3 interacting with CCAAT/Enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) and repressing C/EBP transactivation function, J. Biol. Chem. 278:9609-9619.

Choy, L., Skillington, J., and Derynck, R. (2000) Roles of autocrine TGF-beta receptor and Smad signaling in adipocyte differentiation, J. Cell Biol. 149:667-681.

Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology home page

Fat cells in culture

Osteoblast depositing
bone matrix

The UCSF Program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology

FACULTY

Lisa Choy

Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

The UCSF Program
in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology