Induces cartilage and bone formation. Also act in mesoderm induction, tooth development, limb formation and fracture repair. Acts in concert with PTHLH/PTHRP to stimulate ductal outgrowth during embryonic mammary development and to inhibit hair follicle induction.

Expressed in the lung and lower levels seen in the kidney. Present also in normal and neoplastic prostate tissues, and prostate cancer cell lines.

Defects in BMP4 are the cause of microphthalmia syndromic type 6 (MCOPS6) [MIM:607932]; also known as microphthalmia and pituitary anomalies or microphthalmia with brain and digit developmental anomalies. Microphthalmia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder of eye formation, ranging from small size of a single eye to complete bilateral absence of ocular tissues (anophthalmia). In many cases, microphthalmia/anophthalmia occurs in association with syndromes that include non-ocular abnormalities. MCOPS6 is characterized by microphthalmia/anophthalmia associated with facial, genital, skeletal, neurologic and endocrine anomalies.
Defects in BMP4 are the cause of non-syndromic orofacial cleft type 11 (OFC11) [MIM:600625]. Non-syndromic orofacial cleft is a common birth defect consisting of cleft lips with or without cleft palate. Cleft lips are associated with cleft palate in two-third of cases. A cleft lip can occur on one or both sides and range in severity from a simple notch in the upper lip to a complete opening in the lip extending into the floor of the nostril and involving the upper gum. OFC11 is an unusual anomaly consisting of a paramedian scar of the upper lip with an appearance suggesting that a typical cleft lip was corrected in utero.

Belongs to the TGF-beta family.

Secreted > extracellular space > extracellular matrix.