Fibroblast growth factor-1 induces phosphofructokinase, fatty acid synthase and Ca(2+)-ATPase mRNA expression in NIH 3T3 cells.

Polypeptide growth factors act in part by inducing the expression of specific proteins that perform functions critical to cell cycle progression. We have used a differential display technique to identify genes that are expressed at higher levels following fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1 (acidic FGF) stimulation of quiescent murine NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Three such genes--liver (B-type) phosphofructokinase (PFK), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase type 2 (SERCA2)--are described in this report. The level of FAS and SERCA2 mRNA expression is increased rapidly after FGF-1 addition; in contrast, PFK mRNA is induced with kinetics more typical of delayed-early genes. These results indicate that enhanced expression of the PFK, FAS and SERCA2 proteins may be important for FGF-1-stimulated cell proliferation.