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

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).