Open AccessDestabilization, Oligomerization and Inhibition of the Mitogenic Activity of Acidic Fibroblast‐Growth Factor by Aurintricarboxylic Acid
Author(s) -
Lozano Rosa M.,
Rivas Germán,
GiméanezGallego Guillermo
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1997.t01-2-00030.x
Subject(s) - aurintricarboxylic acid , fibroblast growth factor , fibroblast , chemistry , biochemistry , cell growth , biological activity , growth factor , microbiology and biotechnology , basic fibroblast growth factor , fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 , biology , in vitro , apoptosis , receptor , programmed cell death
The triphenylmethane derivative aurintricarboxylic acid has been used to inhibit angiogenesis, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and cell transformation, an effect that has been attributed to its relatively nonspecific inhibitory activity of protein‐nucleic acid interactions. Here, we show that this compound binds to acidic fibroblast growth factor, a prototypic member of a family of protein mitogens activated by heparin, altering its physicochemical properties and decreasing its mitogenic activity. Counteraction of the effects of aurintricarboxylic acid by heparin shows that the two compounds have opposite and reversible effects on acidic fibroblast growth factor structure and biological activity. The studies reported here may contribute to a deeper understanding of the inhibition of fibroblast‐growth factor‐dependent mitogenesis of relevance to future pharmacologic developments.