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Interaction of heparin with human basic fibroblast growth factor: Protection of the angiogenic protein from proteolytic degradation by a glycosaminoglycan

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are a family of heparin‐binding angiogenic polypeptide mitogens. In the presence of heparin, recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is fully protected from tryptic digestion and partially protected from chymotryptic digestion. Complete protection of bFGF by heparin is achieved at ratios of growth factor:heparin of approximately 10 or less (w/w). The protection requires bioactive bFGF because inactivated bFGF is rapidly degraded by trypsin or chymotrypsin in the presence of heparin. The bFGF‐heparin interaction forms hydrophobic complexes which become insoluble in aqueous buffers at bFGF:heparin ratios of 8 to 10 (w/w). The heparin was found to bind up to a tenfold excess of bFGF on a weight basis. bFGF in the presence of heparin is as active as bFGF alone in inducing 3H‐thymidine incorporation into Swiss 3T3 fibroblast DNA.