Diverse forms of a receptor for acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors.

We recently reported the isolation of a chicken cDNA clone encoding a basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor that has three immunoglobulinlike domains in the extracellular region. We have now identified four unique human cDNA clones encoding previously unknown FGF receptor variants which contain only two immunoglobulinlike domains. Two of the human clones encode membrane-spanning receptors, and two encode putative secreted forms. Both the three- and two-immunoglobulinlike-domain forms mediate biological responsiveness to acidic and basic FGF. Thus, the first immunoglobulinlike domain of the three-domain form may have a function other than binding of acidic and basic FGF.