Opposite effects of basic fibroblast growth factor and heparin on heparin/heparan sulfate degrading enzymes from Flavobacterium heparinum.

Heparinase I is normally inhibited by an excess or substrate, in this paper we describe that bFGF counteracts the inhibiting effect of the substrate and that heparinase I activity is increased in the presence of bFGF. This effect was observed using heparin concentrations ranging from 10(-9) to 10(-7) M with either a ten fold molar excess or an equimolar concentration of bFGF. In addition, the degree of depolymerization of heparan sulfate produced by heparitinase from Flavobacterium heparinum was increased in the presence of bFGF.