GDF10 is a member of the BMP family and the TGF-beta superfamily. GDF10 is expressed in femur,brain,lung,skeletal,muscle,pancreas and testis,and has a role in head formation and possibly multiple roles in skeletal morphogenesis. In humans,GDF10 mRNA is found in the cochlea and lung of fetuses,and in testis,retina,pineal gland,and other neural tissues of adults. The BMP family members are regulators of cell growth and differentiation in both embryonic and adult tissues. These proteins are characterized by a polybasic proteolytic processing site which is cleaved to produce a mature protein containing 7 conserved cysteine residues.