Fibroblast growth factor

Fibroblast growth factor, or FGF, is a family growth factors involved in wound healing. FGF proteins bind heparin. As of 2005, there are 23 known members of the FGF family that are structurally related signaling molecules (named FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, and so on). These molecules in turn bind to a family of receptor molecules consisting of 4 members (FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4). The different but genetically related members of the FGF family include "acidic fibroblast growth factor" (aFGF or FGF1), "basic fibroblast growth factor" (bFGF, or FGF2), int-2, and HST/k-FGF (Finklestein and Plomaritoglou, 2001).

History

Fibroblast growth factor was found in a cow brain extract by Gospadarowicz and colleagues and tested in a bioassay which caused fibroblasts to proliferate. They then further fractionated the extract using acidic and basic pH and isolated two slightly different forms that were named "acidic fibroblast growth factor" and "basic fibroblast growth factor". These proteins shared a very high degree of identical amino acid sequeneces, but they were unique.

Not long after aFGF and bFGF were isolated, other scientists isolated a pair of heparin-binding growth factors which they named HBGF-1 and HBGF-2, and yet another group of scientists isolated a pair of growth factors that caused proliferation of cells in a bioassay containing blood vessel endothelium cells which they called ECGF-1 and ECGF-2. It turns out that these were the same sets of proteins, all isolated and named independently, but, since FGF was the first name, it was the one that stuck.

Function

One of the most important functions of bFGF is that is promotes the endothelial cell proliferation, the physical organization of endothelial cells into tiny tubes. It thus promotes the formation of new blood vessels, in a process known as angiogenesis. bFGF is a more potent angiongenic factor than VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) or PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor). Apart from stimulating blood vessel formation, bFGF is an important player in wound healing. It stimulates the proliferation of fibroblasts that give rise to granulation tissue, which fills up a wound space/cavity early in the wound healing process.

Reference

Finklestein SP and Plomaritoglou A. Growth Factors. Chapter 7 In: Head Trauma: Basic, Preclinical, and Clinical Directions. Miller LP and Hayes RL, eds. Co-edited by Newcomb JK. 2001, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. pp. 165 - 187.

growth factors | Cell biology | Morphogens

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Reference