Comparative study of modified versus natural human basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (hbFGF) in survival and proliferation of 3T3 cells

Reproductive effects of different concentration of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF) on 3T3 Mouse embryo fibroblast cells were evaluated by their abilities to promote proliferation of 3T3 cell culture. In the molecule of modified hbFGF, two serines are substituted for two cysteins at positions 70 and 88 in the natural hbFGF. Both natural and modified hbFGF markedly increased the survival of primary cultured 3T3 cells. The effects were concentration-dependent, in the range of 5 ng/ml to 200 ng/ml, in similar manners for both modified and natural hbFGF. The time-course of these effects on survival was almost the same between natural and modified protein. As a result, we proved that one of the disulfide bonds that form between cysteins at positions 70 and 88 is not essential for biological activity of the basic growth factor.