Novel Mechanisms of Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 Function

Abstract

Publisher Summary The fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a multitalented family of polypeptides with a broad biological base. The FGFs are mitogens, chemoattractants, and differentiation factors for a wide variety of diverse vertebrate cell types in vitro and are known to be potent angiogenic and neurotrophic factors in vivo. The FGFs are also recognized as important contributors to a variety of pathophysiological situations in vivo, including rheumatoid arthritis, solid tumor growth, and atherogenesis. This chapter reviews the mechanisms used by the FGFs to regulate cell division. The FGF gene family is currently comprised of eight structurally related members, including two prototypes, acidic FGF, basic FGF, and six additional members, five of which are oncogenes. A feature that discriminates among the FGF prototypes and the FGF oncogenes is the absence of a classical signal peptide sequence within the FGF prototypes to direct their secretion using conventional secretory pathways. A common feature that the FGF family members share is the ability to bind the glycosaminoglycan heparin, a property that has led to the initiation of the alternative FGF nomenclature as the heparin-binding growth factors.