The Molecular Action of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor

This chapter reviews the biology of Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between growth factors and cell transformation and the regulation of gene expression by PDGF.

Abstract

This chapter reviews the biology of Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between growth factors and cell transformation. It also discusses the regulation of gene expression by PDGF. PDGF has been shown to stimulate the growth of fibroblasts in culture from chickens through humans. In vivo, PDGF is thought to play a role in the maintenance of the vascular lining, though direct evidence is lacking. Through the study of the molecular biology of PDGF, the role of oncogenes in cell transformation and their relationship to growth factors is beginning to be understood. It appears that the deregulation of molecular events that are normally controlled by growth factors can lead to cell transformation. Several known oncogenes can be associated with specific molecular events regulated by growth factors. Some oncogenes, such as the sis gene, may code for a growth factor that is capable of stimulating cell growth through an autocrine-type mechanism. Other oncogenes may code for functions similar to events inside the cell that are regulated by growth factors. It seems quite likely that some oncogenes will either turn out to be growth factor receptors or mimic the functions of them. This may be a likely explanation for the coincidence that a large number of oncogenes as well as growth factor receptors are tyrosine kinases.