Cell blotting and isoelectric focusing of neuroblastoma-derived heparin-binding neurotrophic activities: detection of basic fibroblast growth factor protein and mRNA.

Neuroblastoma cells have been shown to contain growth factors, which may be involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and/or differentiation. We have examined whether human IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells store factors with a capacity to promote neuron survival and differentiation. Heparin affinity chromatography, cell blotting, and isoelectric focusing of IMR-32 cell extracts revealed multiple neurotrophic activities at molecular weights of 16.8, 24.1, 39.0, 45.3, 52.3 and isoelectric points of 4.0, 5.0, 8.3, 9.0. Immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, and radio-immunoassay with specific antibodies suggests that one neurotrophic activity is immunologically identical with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). This assumption is supported by Northern blot analysis, which shows a 6.0 kb bFGF transcript.