Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) acts intracellularly to cause the transdifferentiation of avian neural crest-derived Schwann cell precursors into melanocytes

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1313-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Sherman ◽  
K.M. Stocker ◽  
R. Morrison ◽  
G. Ciment
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Schwann Cell ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Mrna Transcript ◽  
Schwann Cell Precursors

We previously found that cultured neural crest-derived cells from embryonic quail peripheral nerves, which consist mostly of Schwann cell precursors, gave rise to melanocytes following treatment with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Here, we show that antisense deoxyoligonucleotides targeted against two regions of the bFGF mRNA transcript blocked this TPA-induced transdifferentiation of Schwann cell precursors. Neither sense nor scrambled antisense control oligonucleotides had any effect in this regard. TPA increased bFGF protein expression in cell lysates but not in conditioned media from these cultures, and this expression was localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Furthermore, bFGF-neutralizing antibodies and inositol-hexakisphosphate (InsP6) both inhibited pigmentation caused by exogenous bFGF, but had no affect on TPA-induced melanogenesis, suggesting that bFGF is not released by these cells. These data indicate that bFGF is necessary for the TPA-induced transdifferentiation of Schwann cell precursors into melanocytes and that bFGF acts via an intracrine mechanism.

BHK-21-derived cell lines that produce basic fibroblast growth factor, but not parental BHK-21 cells, initiate neuronal differentiation of neural crest progenitors

Development ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 1059-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Brill ◽  
N. Vaisman ◽  
G. Neufeld ◽  
C. Kalcheim
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Neuronal Differentiation ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Neural Crest Cells ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Similar Treatment ◽  
Bhk Cells

We present evidence that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-producing cells stimulate primary differentiation of neurons from neural crest progenitors. Baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells were stably cotransfected with plasmid pSV2/neo, which contains the gene conferring resistance to the neomycin analog G418 and expression vectors containing the human bFGF cDNA. Various clones, which differed in their bFGF production levels, were isolated. Homogeneous neural crest cells were cultured on monolayers of bFGF-producing, BHK-21-derived cell lines. While the parental BHK-21 cells, which do not produce detectable bFGF, had poor neurogenic ability, the various bFGF-producing clones promoted a 1.5- to 4-fold increase in neuronal cell number compared to the parental cells. This increase was correlated with the levels of bFGF produced by the different transfected clones, which ranged between 2.3 and 140 ng/mg protein. In contrast, no stimulation of neuronal differentiation was observed when neural crest cells were grown on monolayers of parental BHK cells transfected with plasmid pSV2/neo alone, or on a parental BHK-derived clone, which secretes high amounts of recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, the neuron-promoting ability of bFGF-producing cells could be mimicked by addition of exogenous bFGF to neural crest cells grown on the parental BHK line. A similar treatment of neural crest cells grown on laminin substrata, instead of BHK cells, resulted in increased survival of non-neuronal cells, but not of neurons (see also Kalcheim, C. 1989, Dev. Biol. 134, 1–10). Taken together, these results suggest that bFGF stimulates neuronal differentiation of neural crest cells by a cell-mediated signalling mechanism.

scholarly journals Basic fibroblast growth factor from human keratinocytes is a natural mitogen for melanocytes.

1988 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 1611-1619 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Halaban ◽  
R Langdon ◽  
N Birchall ◽  
C Cuono ◽  
A Baird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Human Keratinocytes ◽  
Ultraviolet B ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Human Melanocytes

To survive and proliferate in pure culture, human melanocytes require basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and cAMP. Without these factors, even in the presence of serum, the cells die. Melanocytes cultured in the presence of keratinocytes, however, survive for weeks without added bFGF and cAMP. We show here that the growth factor for melanocytes produced by human keratinocytes is bFGF because its activity can be abolished by neutralizing antibodies to bFGF and by a bFGF synthetic peptide that inhibits the binding of the growth factor to its receptor. The melanocyte mitogen in keratinocytes is cell associated and increases after irradiation with ultraviolet B. Northern blots reveal bFGF gene transcripts in keratinocytes but not melanocytes. These studies demonstrate that bFGF elaborated by keratinocytes in vitro sustains melanocyte growth and survival, and they suggest that keratinocyte-derived bFGF is the natural growth factor for normal human melanocytes in vivo.

Ultrastructural Distribution of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Like Molecules in Peripheral Nerves

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1102-1103
Author(s):  
Robert J. Kayton ◽  
Ranan Gulhan Aktas
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Ultrathin Sections ◽  
Few Data ◽  
Labeling Method

Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) is a multifunctional polypeptide which has been shown to play a pivotal role in the survival and differentiation of nerve cells. Several trophic and non-trophic functions of this protein have been suggested in peripheral nerves. In spite of ample information about the distribution and effects of bFGF in central nervous system, few data are available concerning the localization of this protein in peripheral nerves. In view of the role of bFGF in regulation of trophic and non-trophic functions, we particularly focused on the presence and precise location of bFGF in peripheral nerves at the electron microscope level.Spurr's resin embedded ultrathin sections from adult rats’ sural nerves were labeled with either polyclonal (F3393-Sigma) or monoclonal antibodies (F6162-Sigma, C3316-Zymogenetics) specific for bFGF using two-step immunogold labeling method. Control samples were treated with either an equivalent volume of blocking solution (omitting the primary antibody) or an irrelevant antibody (Factor VIII, VGF, anti-histamine, anti-fibroblast 5B5).

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