Bmp6, short for Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6, is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. It participates in multiple essential biological functions such as iron homeostasis, and is involved in signaling pathways like BMP6/SMADs. It also plays a role in processes like cell-cell interactions, angiogenesis, and the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Genetic models, especially gene knockout (KO) models, are valuable for studying its functions [1,3].

In a mouse myocardial infarction model, BMP6-/-mice showed more significant declines in cardiac function, enlarged infarct areas, increased fibrosis, and more pronounced inflammatory infiltration compared to wild-type mice. Knocking down BMP6 promoted AP-1 phosphorylation and CEMIP expression, accelerating cardiac fibrosis progression, indicating BMP6 may be a novel target for improving myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function after myocardial infarction [2]. In a melanoma mouse model, BMP6 deficiency caused significantly delayed tumor onset and decelerated tumor progression, suggesting its role in modulating the tumor microenvironment [4].

In conclusion, Bmp6 is crucial for multiple biological processes. Through KO mouse models, its significance in diseases such as cardiac fibrosis and melanoma has been revealed. These studies help in understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and may potentially lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting Bmp6.

References:

1. García Muro, Andrea Marlene, García Ruvalcaba, Azaria, Rizo de la Torre, Lourdes Del Carmen, Sánchez López, Josefina Yoaly. 2021. Role of the BMP6 protein in breast cancer and other types of cancer. In Growth factors (Chur, Switzerland), 39, 1-13. doi:10.1080/08977194.2021.1994964. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34706618/

2. Lu, Guiping, Ge, Zhuowang, Chen, Xinyuan, Xie, Yuquan, Pu, Jun. . BMP6 knockdown enhances cardiac fibrosis in a mouse myocardial infarction model by upregulating AP-1/CEMIP expression. In Clinical and translational medicine, 13, e1296. doi:10.1002/ctm2.1296. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37313693/

3. Shen, Ruinan, Jia, Ruobing, Liu, Wenjie, Hai, Yanan, He, Zuping. . The Function and Regulation of BMP6 in Various Kinds of Stem Cells. In Current pharmaceutical design, 21, 3634-43. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166606/

4. Stieglitz, David, Lamm, Susanne, Braig, Simone, Karrer, Sigrid, Bosserhoff, Anja-Katrin. 2018. BMP6-induced modulation of the tumor micro-milieu. In Oncogene, 38, 609-621. doi:10.1038/s41388-018-0475-x. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30171260/