Genetic modifiers interact with maternal determinants in vascular development of Tgfb1(-/-) mice.

The transforming growth factor beta signaling family is a key player in genetic and multifactorial diseases, including hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), cancer, atherosclerosis and immunomodulation. HHT types 1 and 2 are caused by loss of function mutations in ENG and ACVRL1; polymorphisms in TBRI and TGFB1 are also associated with altered risks for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. There is therefore much interest in identifying factors that influence transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) action in vivo.