A metabologen is defined as a morphogen (molecule) that can initiate, promote and maintain metabolism and homeostasis. Based on this definition, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are metabologens, since they are involved in iron homeostasis, brown fat adipogenesis and energy metabolism. Professor A. Hari Reddi and Anand Reddi in Cytokine Growth Factor Rev were the first to propose the term metabologen (as reviewed in a special issue of Cytokine Growth Factor Review guest edited by Dr. A. Hari Reddi entitled Bone Morphogenetic Proteins, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine.).

References

Reddi AH, Reddi A (2009). "Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs): from morphogens to metabologens". Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 20 (5–6): 341–2. doi:10.1016/j.cytogfr.2009.10.015. PMID 19900831.

Schulz TJ, Tseng YH (2009). "Emerging Role of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in Adipogenesis and Energy Metabolism". Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 20 (5–6): 523–31. doi:10.1016/j.cytogfr.2009.10.019. PMC 2799934. PMID 19896888.

Babitt JL, Huang FW, Xia Y, Sidis Y, Andrews NC, Lin HY (2007). "Modulation of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in vivo regulates systemic iron balance". J Clin Invest. 117 (7): 1933–9. doi:10.1172/JCI31342. PMC 1904317. PMID 17607365.