When smad3-Delta3 is overexpressed in a fibrosarcoma cell line, the Smad3-Delta3 is translocated to the nucleus upon TGF-beta stimulation and binds the Smad responsive element.     ///    "Using a CAGA luciferase reporter system, we demonstrate that Smad3-Delta3 has transcriptional activity and we conclude that Smad3-Delta3 possesses functional transactivating properties.. "    ///    Real-time PCR analyses demonstrated that the fraction of smad3-Delta3 mRNA compared to normal smad3 varies between tissues.     ///    We could detect mRNA expression of smad3-Delta3 in all investigated human tissues.     ///    The splicing variant (smad3-Delta3) lacks exon 3 resulting in a truncated linker region. 