Enhancement of anchorage‐independent growth of a human adrenal carcinoma cell line by endogenously produced basic fibroblast growth factor

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Abstract
We have previously observed that a human adrenal carcinoma cell line (SW‐13) produces autocrine growth factors that enhance the ability of these cells to clone in soft agar. We now show that a basic FGF‐like protein is found in SW‐13 lysates and stimulates SW‐13 colony growth. Basic FGF (bFGF) was identified in SW‐13 lysates by both its chromato graphic behavior on heparin‐Sepharose and its reactivity with an antibody specific for bFGF. Incubation of lysates with an tibodies specific for bFGF abolished their ability to support anchorage‐independent growth. Northern analysis demon strated that the cells produced multiple bFGF mRNA tran scripts. SW‐13 cells also expressed bFGF cell‐surface recep tors. These data suggest that SW‐13 cells produce and re spond to a factor structurally and functionally related to bFGF. Such findings support recent evidence indicating that FGF secreted by human tumor cell lines plays a role in the maintenance of the transformed phenotype.