Thymosin β4Tβ4
An endogenous actin-sequestering peptide involved in wound healing.
Identity
- Class
- Actin-binding peptide (43 aa)
- Source
- Widespread; abundant intracellularly
- Receptor
- No classical receptor; sequesters monomeric (G-)actin
Key properties
Molecular weight
~4,963.4 Da
Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.
Mechanism
Thymosin β4 is the major intracellular store of monomeric actin, buffering the actin available for cytoskeletal remodeling. Through effects on cell migration, angiogenesis, and inflammation it supports tissue repair, which underlies its study in wound healing and the existence of fragment-based research compounds.
Reference notes
- Tβ4 works by binding monomeric actin, not by activating a surface receptor.
- Its repair effects come from modulating cell migration, angiogenesis, and inflammation.
- It is the endogenous molecule that the research compound TB-500 is derived from — they are not identical.
Selected literature
Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.
- 1.beta-Thymosins · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2007 · PMID 17468232
- 2.Thymosin β(4) and β(10) Expression in Human Organs during Development: A Review · Cells, 2024 · PMID 38994967