Powers C J, McLeskey S W, Wellstein A
School of Nursing, Department of Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
Endocr Relat Cancer. 2000 Sep;7(3):165-97. doi: 10.1677/erc.0.0070165.
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are small polypeptide growth factors, all of whom share in common certain structural characteristics, and most of whom bind heparin avidly. Many FGFs contain signal peptides for secretion and are secreted into the extracellular environment, where they can bind to the heparan-like glycosaminoglycans (HLGAGs) of the extracellular matrix (ECM). From this reservoir, FGFs may act directly on target cells, or they can be released through digestion of the ECM or the activity of a carrier protein, a secreted FGF binding protein. FGFs bind specific receptor tyrosine kinases in the context of HLGAGs and this binding induces receptor dimerization and activation, ultimately resulting in the activation of various signal transduction cascades. Some FGFs are potent angiogenic factors and most play important roles in embryonic development and wound healing. FGF signaling also appears to play a role in tumor growth and angiogenesis, and autocrine FGF signaling may be particularly important in the progression of steroid hormone-dependent cancers to a hormone-independent state.
成纤维细胞生长因子（FGFs）是一类小的多肽生长因子，它们都具有某些共同的结构特征，并且大多数都能与肝素紧密结合。许多FGFs含有分泌信号肽，并分泌到细胞外环境中，在那里它们可以与细胞外基质（ECM）的类肝素糖胺聚糖（HLGAGs）结合。从这个储存库中，FGFs可以直接作用于靶细胞，或者通过ECM的消化或载体蛋白（一种分泌型FGF结合蛋白）的活性而释放出来。FGFs在HLGAGs的环境中与特定的受体酪氨酸激酶结合，这种结合会诱导受体二聚化和激活，最终导致各种信号转导级联反应的激活。一些FGFs是强效的血管生成因子，大多数在胚胎发育和伤口愈合中发挥重要作用。FGF信号传导似乎也在肿瘤生长和血管生成中起作用，自分泌FGF信号传导在类固醇激素依赖性癌症发展为激素非依赖性状态的过程中可能尤为重要。
