Developmental bio test 2

• Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)


  Family of over a dozen structurally related members, including FGF1 (acidic FGF), FGF2 (basic FGF), and FGF7 (keratinocyte growth factor)
• FGF


  • Can generate hundreds of protein isoforms by varying their RNA splicing or initiation codons in different tissues
  • While FGFs can often substitute for one another, their expression patterns give them separate functions
  • FGF2 is especially important in angiogenesis
  • FGF8 is important for the development of the midbrain and limbs
• Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs)


  Receptor tyrosine kinases that FGFs can activate
• TGF-β


  The most important factor in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer cell dissemination
• TGF-β pathway


  1. Promotes invasiveness and metastasis by inducing the expression of transcription factors snail, slug, twist, ZEB1 and TCF3

  2. Inhibits E-cadherin expression and upregulates mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin, vimentin

  3. Promotes the secretion of matrix metalloproteases
• TGF-β in cancers


  • Suppresses cancer development in early stages by preventing proliferation and inducing cell death
  • Contributes to malignant progression later by promoting invasion and metastasis