Structural evidence that endothelial cell growth factor beta is the precursor of both endothelial cell growth factor alpha and acidic fibroblast growth factor.

W H Burgess, T Mehlman, D R Marshak, B A Fraser, T Maciag

Index: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83 , 7216, (1986)

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Abstract

Two endothelial cell growth factors (ECGF) have been purified from bovine brain and termed alpha- and beta-ECGF [Burgess, W. H., Mehlman, T., Friesel, R., Johnson, W. V. & Maciag, T. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11389-11392]. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that beta-ECGF represents a 20 amino acid amino-terminal extension of alpha-ECGF and a 14 amino acid amino-terminal extension of acidic fibroblast growth factor. These data indicate that both alpha-ECGF and acidic fibroblast growth factor may be derived from beta-ECGF by posttranslational processing. Analysis of the amino-terminal 14 residues of beta-ECGF by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry established the amino acid sequence of this region and the identity of the blocking group at the amino terminus (acetyl).