title: Basic fibroblast growth factor: an autocrine mitogen of rat thyroid follicular cells?
abstract: Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a mitogen for the rat thyroid cell line FRTL-5. A possible autocrine role for this growth factor has been investigated in rat thyroid follicular cells both in vitro and in vivo. We report here the synthesis and localisation of basic FGF and one of its high affinity receptors (flg) in FRTL-5 cells, shown by Northern hybridization analysis, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Two major species of basic FGF mRNA of approximately 2.2 and 7.0 kilobases and one major species of flg mRNA of approximately 4.2 kilobases were identified in FRTL-5 cells. The basic FGF immunoreactivity observed histologically was attributed to a heparin-binding protein of approximately 20 kilodaltons mol wt. The physiological relevance of basic FGF to the thyroid is underlined by the demonstration of significant stores of immunoreactive protein, predominantly in the basement membrane of thyroid follicular cells, in paraffin sections of the normal rat thyroid, although basic FGF mRNA was not detected by in situ or Northern hybridization analysis. The mitogenic response of FRTL-5 cells to human recombinant basic FGF has been further characterized, and the factor shown to stimulate with an ED50 of 4 ng/ml. The mitogenic effects of exogenously supplied and endogenously produced basic FGF were shown to be potentiated by heparin. Examination of the mitogenic activity of both exogenous and endogenous basic FGF and its immunoneutralization in vitro suggests that locally produced basic FGF may be an important autocrine regulator of thyroid follicular cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buscaglia
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sheppard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000032:analysis*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D051498:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D008934:Mitogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C069820:Fgfr3 protein, rat; D006493:Heparin; D004247:DNA; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051498:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3