title: Stimulation of cell motility by a viral fibroblast growth factor homolog: proposal for a role in viral pathogenesis.
abstract: The Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) encodes a gene (open reading frame 32) with homology to vertebrate and invertebrate fibroblast growth factors (fgfs), key regulators of developmental processes affecting the growth, differentiation, and migration of many cell types. We studied the temporal regulation of the AcMNPV fgf, vfgf, by Northern (RNA) blot hybridization; vfgf was transcribed as a 0.6-kb mRNA at early times but as part of a 1.4-kb bicistronic mRNA at late times. The product of vfgf, vFGF, exhibited a number of characteristics that have also been demonstrated for other FGF homologs. vFGF had strong affinity to heparin, a property important for FGF signaling via an FGF receptor. vFGF was secreted into the extracellular fluid when expressed in insect cells, suggesting that it acts as an extracellular ligand. Finally, vFGF was able to stimulate migration of several different types of insect cells. We discuss how this activity may be important for its function during virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, Kansas State University, 232 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors.forename: Chanitchote
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Detvisitsakun
authors.forename: Marcelo F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lehiy
authors.forename: A Lorena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Passarelli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000821:virology; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011485:Protein Binding; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D006493:Heparin