title: FGFs, heparan sulfate and FGFRs: complex interactions essential for development.
abstract: Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a large family of developmental and physiological signaling molecules. All FGFs have a high affinity for the glycosaminoglycan heparin and for cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. A large body of biochemical and cellular evidence points to a direct role for heparin/heparan sulfate in the formation of an active FGF/FGF receptor signaling complex. However, until recently there has been no direct demonstration that heparan is required for the biological activity of FGF in a developmental system in vivo. A recent paper by Lin et al.(1) has broken through this barrier to demonstrate that heparan sulfate is essential for FGF function during Drosophila development. The establishment of a role for heparan sulfate in FGFR activation in vivo suggests that tissue-specific differences in the structure of heparan may modulate the activity of FGF. BioEssays 22:108-112, 2000.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. dornitz@pcg.wustl.edu
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ornitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000502:physiology; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D006493:Heparin; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor