Hyaluronan-dependent pericellular coats of chick embryo limb mesodermal cells: induction by basic fibroblast growth factor.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been shown previously to be present in the chick embryonic limb during early stages of its development, at which time the limb mesodermal cells are proliferating within a hyaluronan-rich extracellular matrix. In this study, basic FGF was found to stimulate hyaluronan synthesis and production of hyaluronan-dependent pericellular coats by mesodermal cells from the chick embryo limb; acidic FGF, platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and retinoic acid either had a much smaller effect than basic FGF or an inhibitory effect. Transforming growth factor-beta stimulated hyaluronan synthesis and coat formation but, unlike basic FGF, this factor also stimulated chondroitin sulfate production by the mesodermal cells.