The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of signaling molecules has been implicated in normal developmental and physiological processes, as well as in human malignancy. Using a homology-based genomic DNA mining process, we identified a human gene encoding a novel member of the FGF family, that we designate FGF-20. The FGF-20 cDNA was isolated, and its sequence confirmed the gene prediction. FG...

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans are intimately involved in the regulation of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. HS and the related glycosaminoglycan heparin interact with FGFs and FGF receptors (FGFRs), and it is believed that both interactions are required for productive FGF signaling. Attempts to inhibit FGF activity have been made with modified heparin preparations, various heparin...

The goal of this study was to examine the ability of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) to promote reactivity and/or proliferation of astrocytes in vivo following brain injury, and the possible mechanisms involved. A small bilateral lesion in the motor-sensory cortex was performed, and either FGF-2, FGF-2 plus heparan sulfate, heparan sulfate, or saline was applied unilaterally in a piece o...

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) is a secretory protein that lacks a signal peptide. Consistently, FGF-2 has been shown to be secreted by an ER-Golgi-independent mechanism; however, the machinery mediating this process remains to be established at the molecular level. Here we introduce a novel experimental system based on flow cytometry that allows the quantitative assessment of non-class...

Interaction of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) with heparin or heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) is required for receptor activation and initiation of biological responses. To gain insight into the mechanism of activation of the FGF receptor by FGF-2 and heparin, we have used NMR, dynamic light scattering, and HSPG-deficient cells and cell-free systems. The first 28 N-terminal residu...

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) interacts with high-affinity tyrosine-kinase fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) and low-affinity heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in target cells. Both interactions are required for FGF-2-mediated biological responses. Here we report the FGF-2 antagonist activity of novel synthetic sulfonic acid polymers with distinct chemical structures and m...

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) immobilized on non-tissue culture plastic promotes adhesion and spreading of bovine and human endothelial cells that are inhibited by anti-FGF-2 antibody. Heat-inactivated FGF-2 retains its cell-adhesive activity despite its incapacity to bind to tyrosine-kinase FGF receptors or to cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Recombinant glutathione-S-transfera...

OBJECTIVE Oncogenic hypophosphatemic osteomalacia (OOM) is a rare disease characterized by hypophosphatemia, inappropriately low levels of circulating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and osteomalacia. The disease is most commonly caused by benign mesenchymal tumors that produce, among several other factors, fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23). Current evidence thus suggests that this protein has an...

We have shown that the EBV oncoprotein, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), induces a constellation of tumor-invasiveness factors. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 is angiogenic as well mitogenic. Although FGF-2 does not contain a hydrophobic signal sequence for secretion, FGF-2 is released extracellularly. However, the mechanism by which FGF-2 is released is unclear. Here we show first that LMP1...