title: Fibroblast growth factor mediated alterations in drug resistance, and evidence of gene amplification.
abstract: We have investigated the drug resistance and gene amplification potential of NIH3T3 cells transfected with sequences coding for K-FGF, a known oncogene product, or bFGF, a non-oncogene member of the fibroblast growth factor family. Resistance to methotrexate, N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate and hydroxyurea was observed with K-fgf transfectants, due to amplification of dihydrofolate reductase, CAD or ribonucleotide reductase R2 genes, respectively. In keeping with the increase in gene amplification frequency, cells transfected with the K-fgf gene also exhibited a marked increase in CAD gene amplification rate, as determined by fluctuation analysis in the presence of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate. Cells transfected with bFGF encoding cDNA also exhibited a significant elevation in N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate resistance, and CAD gene amplification. Treatment with suramin, which interferes with the interaction of fibroblast growth factors with their cell surface receptors, did not decrease the drug resistance properties of K-fgf transfected cells. These observations with suramin and the findings with bFGF, which lacks a conventional signal sequence for secretion, suggests that the growth factor-mediated effects on drug resistance and gene amplification occur through an intracellular as opposed to autocrine mode of action. The finding that aberrant growth factor expression regulates gene amplification opens up new possibilities for investigating intracellular mechanisms relevant to this process and also describes new functions for the altered expression of K-FGF and bFGF, which are relevant to mechanisms of malignant progression.
authors.affiliation: Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001221:Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002223:Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing) / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004080:Dihydroorotase / Q000235:genetics; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000494:pharmacology; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000235:genetics; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C033626:CAD trifunctional enzyme; C496446:Fgf4 protein, mouse; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D013498:Suramin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; C013195:sparfosic acid; D004247:DNA; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; D001221:Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase; D004080:Dihydroorotase; D002223:Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing); D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid; D006918:Hydroxyurea; D008727:Methotrexate