幼龄犬髁突囊外损伤对髁突及下颌骨生长发育的影响

目的:研究幼龄犬髁突不同形式的囊外损伤对髁突局部及下颌骨生长发育的影响。方法:20只6月龄中华田园犬随机分为五组,除空白对照组外,分别建立幼龄犬单侧髁突颈部骨折、髁突颈部骨折后内固定、髁突颈部骨膜损伤及髁突颈部骨皮质损伤四种动物模型,饲养12w及24w后通过头颅CT三维重建测量的方法观察其对下颌骨对称性及生长量的影响,并通过组织学染色观察髁突局部生长中心的微观改变。结果:1仅单侧髁突颈部骨折组在损伤早期对下颌骨及髁突发育产生了影响,使损伤侧髁突颈部形态变短变粗,下颌骨长度也较对侧减小,但髁突及颈部的局部适应性改建会逐渐抵消这些影响,24w时下颌骨已不存在骨性不对称,但功能性原因仍能导致颏点出现向患侧的偏斜。2其余三种损伤形式在实验设定的观察期内对髁突及下颌骨的生长发育影响不大,但单侧髁突颈部骨折后内固定组在24w时也出现了下颌骨的功能性偏斜。3各种损伤形式对髁突及下颌骨生长发育的远期影响有待进一步实验证实。结论:生长发育期犬髁突囊外损伤对髁突及下颌骨生长发育的影响不大。     

胎儿下颌髁状突发育中软骨细胞凋亡及bcl-2的表达

目的 研究不同胎龄的胎儿下颌髁状突软骨发育中的细胞凋亡及bcl-2蛋白的表达。方法 32例胎儿下颌髁状突软骨按胎龄分为两组：A组（13-22周,17例）;B组（23-33周,15例）,采用原位末端标记法（TUNEL）及免疫组织化学法观察胎儿髁状突软骨发育不同时期细胞凋亡及bcl-2蛋白的表达,并对表达结果作定量分析。结果 两胎龄组中均有TUNEL及bcl-2阳性表达,凋亡细胞A组较B组多,凋亡细胞主要分布于增殖层及成软骨细胞层,肥大层较少;bcl-2阳性细胞主要分布于成软骨细胞层,其次为增殖层,肥大层阳性细胞明显减少,B组bcl-2阳性率高于A组。结论 细胞凋亡参与胎儿下颌髁状突软骨发育,bcl-2与髁状突软骨细胞分化及细胞凋亡有关。     

角质细胞生长因子-2研究进展

角质细胞生长因子 2 (KGF 2 )也叫成纤维细胞生长因子 10 (FGF 10 ) ,是成纤维细胞生长因子家族的一员 .能特异性促进上皮细胞的增殖、分化和迁移 ,对脊椎动物多种组织和器官的发育起重要调控作用 ,对临床上多种疾病的治疗也有很好的应用前景 .1　KGF 2与受体KGF 2有两种细胞膜表面受体 :FGFR1Ⅲb和FGFR2Ⅲb .KGF 2与FGFR2Ⅲb的亲和力很高 ,而与FGFR1Ⅲb的亲和力很低 ,只有在高浓度KGF 2存在时才与FGFR1Ⅲb结合 .KGF 2与受体结合后 ,促使受体胞内的C端酪氨酸残基磷酸化 ,磷酸化的受体具有了酪氨酸蛋白激酶活性 ,并与一系…     

FGFR2IIIc重组慢病毒载体的构建及其在肌原细胞L6中的表达

目的:构建人FGFR2IIIc重组慢病毒表达系统,感染并筛选获得大鼠肌原细胞L6表达人FGFR2IIIc的重组细胞株,初步研究FGFR2IIIc对L6细胞的作用。方法:从人胎盘组织中获得FGFR2IIIc基因,并克隆到Gateway慢病毒系统的入门载体pENTR-11,采用LR重组酶将重组的pENTR-FGFR2IIIc和表达载体pLenti6/V5-DEST进行重组反应得到pLenti6/V5-DEST-FGFR2IIIc。将该重组表达载体和Viral Packaging Mix包装质粒通过阳离子脂质体共转染293FT细胞,待细胞完全裂解后收集重组慢病毒颗粒上清液;取适量上清液感染L6细胞,杀稻瘟毒素筛选2~4周,挑单克隆细胞进一步扩大培养并建立重组细胞株。RT-PCR、间接免疫荧光和Western blot鉴定重组细胞株中目的基因FGFR2IIIc的表达,bFGF和硫酸乙酰肝素共同诱导各重组L6细胞株后流式细胞术分析细胞周期,形态观察检测成肌分化水平,并通过相关信号通路抑制剂分析与各信号通路的关系。结果:构建了含人FGFR2IIIc基因的重组慢病毒表达载体,获得的重组慢病毒颗粒能高效感染L6细胞,RT-PCR和间接免疫荧光实验说明正确表达目的基因;流式细胞术结果表明L6中高表达FGFR2IIIc的重组细胞株的G1/G0期的细胞增多;各重组细胞株分别加入Erk1/2和p38通路抑制剂抑制诱导2天,发现重组细胞株发生不同的形态变化。结论:通过慢病毒表达系统,成功构建高表达FGFR2IIIc的重组L6细胞株,FGFR2IIIc通过Erk1/2和p38通路影响了L6细胞的形态发生,该结果为下一步在大鼠L6细胞中研究FGFR2IIIc基因与成肌分化功能相关性奠定基础。     

FGFR2Ⅲc重组慢病毒载体的构建及其在肌原细胞L6中的表达

目的:构建人FGFR2Ⅲc重组慢病毒表达系统,感染并筛选获得大鼠肌原细胞L6表达人FGFR2Ⅲc的重组细胞株,初步研究FGFR2Ⅲc对L6细胞的作用.方法:从人胎盘组织中获得FGFR2Ⅲc基因,并克隆到Gateway慢病毒系统的入门载体pENTR-11,采用LR重组酶将重组的pENTR-FGFR2Ⅲc和表达载体pLenti6/V5-DEST进行重组反应得到pLenti6/V5-DEST-FGFR2Ⅲc.将该重组表达载体和Viral Packaging Mix包装质粒通过阳离子脂质体共转染293FT细胞,待细胞完全裂解后收集重组慢病毒颗粒上清液;取适量上清液感染L6细胞,杀稻瘟毒素筛选2～4周,挑单克隆细胞进一步扩大培养并建立重组细胞株.RT-PCR、间接免疫荧光和Western blot鉴定重组细胞株中目的基因FGFR2Ⅲc的表达,bFGF和硫酸乙酰肝素共同诱导各重组L6细胞株后流式细胞术分析细胞周期,形态观察检测成肌分化水平,并通过相关信号通路抑制剂分析与各信号通路的关系.结果:构建了舍人FGFR2Ⅲc基因的重组慢病毒表达载体,获得的重组慢病毒颗粒能高效感染L6细胞,RT-PCR和间接免疫荧光实验说明正确表达目的基因;流式细胞术结果表明L6中高表达FGFR2Ⅲc的重组细胞株的G1/G0期的细胞增多;各重组细胞株分别加入Erk1/2和p38通路抑制剂抑制诱导2天,发现重组细胞株发生不同的形态变化.结论:通过慢病毒表达系统,成功构建高表达FGFR2Ⅲc的重组L6细胞株,FGFR2Ⅲc通过Erk1/2和p38通路影响了L6细胞的形态发生,该结果为下一步在大鼠L6细胞中研究FGFR2Ⅲc基因与成肌分化功能相关性奠定基础.     

人成纤维细胞生长因子受体2的研究进展

人成纤维细胞生长因子受体（FGFRs)家族在细胞的增殖、分化、血管生成、胚胎及骨骼发育和在与生长发育相关的进程中起着十分重要的作用。成纤维细胞生长因子受体2（FGFR2）是该家族4个成员中的一员,本文就其结构特点及与骨骼发育、肿瘤形成和其他疾病的关系加以综述。     

bFGF与BDNF对损伤后成年小鼠离体培养嗅觉上皮细胞发育的影响

在成熟神经系统中,嗅觉上皮（ＯＥ）很特殊,它能不断产生新的神经元。本文用细胞培养、组织化学和免疫细胞化学技术对成年小鼠的ＯＥ进行了研究。实验显示：双极细胞ＮＦ、ＮＳＥ、ＭＡＰ２、ＯＭＰ和ｔａｕ蛋白免疫染色为阳性,但ｋｅｒａｔｉｎ免疫染色为阴性,说明双极细胞是神经元。用不同浓度血清的培养基。离体培养成年小鼠的ＯＥ,观察碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（ｂＦＧＦ）和脑源神经营养因子（ＢＤＮＦ）对ＯＥ细胞数量和突     

细胞质内微环境直接影响FGFR1酪氨酸激酶介导的SNT1细胞特异性磷酸化

成纤维细胞生长因子受体(FGFR)介导的SNT1(亦称为FRS2)底物磷酸化具有宿主细胞以及受体特异性。为探明这种宿主细胞特异性的决定因素,我们构建了1个FGFR2Ⅲb/R1嵌合受体。该嵌合受体具有1个FGFR2Ⅲb的胞外片段及1个FGFR1蛋白质酪氨酸激酶片断。当表达在3T3细胞(内源性受体为FGFR1并能强烈响应FGFR1的信号)以及DTE-R1/100细胞时,该嵌合受体能即刻诱导SNT1磷酸化。DTE-R1/100细胞为经长期培养的带有外源性FGFR1的非恶性前列腺肿瘤上皮细胞(DTE)并已获得未转化DTE细胞所不具备的FGFR1信号响应性。与此相反,当表达在非转化DTE细胞或未经长期培养的FGFR1转化细胞(DTE-R1)时,FGFR2Ⅲb/R1嵌合受体则无法诱导SNT1磷酸化。我们曾报导DTE细胞对FGFR1介导的SNT1磷酸化活力及其刺激细胞生长信号的响应性是一种获得性的性质,这种性质的获得与细胞恶化是紧密联系在一起的。在此我们进一步证明FGFR介导的SNT1磷酸化具有宿主细胞特异性。这些结果表明细胞内围绕着激酶的微环境而不是细胞外环境决定了SNT1是否可为FGFR1所磷酸化。而且,长期受外源性FGFR1刺激诱发DTE细胞内微环境的变化,从而使表达在DTE细胞里的FGFR1激酶可强烈地磷酸化SNT1。     

FGF-2对人骨髓间充质干细胞增殖和向成骨细胞分化的影响

探讨体外培养条件下,成纤维细胞生长因子-2（FGF-2）和地塞米松（Dex）对第7代人骨髓间充质干细胞（MSCs）增殖和向成骨细胞分化的作用以及两者联合使用的效应。MSCs经含FGF-2或／和Dex的培养液作用后,于不同时间采用MTT法测定细胞增殖情况;对硝基苯磷酸（pNPP）法测定碱性磷酸酶（ALP）活性;ELISA法测定骨钙蛋白（OC）含量;茜素红S染色法对沉积的钙盐进行染色。发现：（1）FGF-2组细胞的生长速度为对照组的1．31倍,Dex／FGF-2组细胞的生长速度为FGF-2组的1．12倍。（2）Dex组的ALP活性、OC含量和细胞外基质钙盐沉积分别为对照组的17．0倍、2．12倍和10．56倍,并能形成成熟的羟基磷灰石（HA）结晶和骨结节;FGF-2组的ALP活性比对照组降低了76．7％,虽然OC含量、钙盐沉积增加,但不能形成成熟的HA结晶和骨结节;FGF-2对Dex诱导的ALP活性增加和HA结晶形成有拮抗作用。由此证明：（1）FGF-2可促进MSCs的增殖,Dex对MSCs的增殖无明显作用;Dex能增强FGF-2对MSCs的促增殖效应。（2）Dex可使MSCs分化为成熟的成骨细胞,是一个有效的成骨细胞分化诱导剂;FGF-2可使MSCs分化为未成熟的成骨细胞;FGF-2拮抗Dex诱导MSCs分化为成熟的成骨细胞。     

改构酸性成纤维细胞生长因子对小鼠胸腺细胞凋亡的影响

目的:探讨改构酸性成纤维细胞生长因子(MaFGF)对地塞米松(DEX)诱导小鼠胸腺细胞凋亡的保护作用。方法:利用地塞米松诱导小鼠胸腺细胞凋亡的模型,将实验分为空白对照组、DEX处理组、aFGF+DEX组和MaFGF+DEX组,采用DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳和流式细胞仪两种分析方法,测定MaFGF对小鼠胸腺细胞凋亡的影响。结果:空白对照组凋亡率为168%,DEX处理后小鼠胸腺细胞出现明显的细胞凋亡,凋亡率为196%,aFGF和MaFGF处理后的细胞凋亡受到抑制,凋亡率分别下降到1595%和1293%,MaFGF效应强于aFGF,且以剂量依赖方式发挥作用。结论:MaFGF具有以剂量依赖方式的胸腺细胞保护作用。     

FGFR3 dimer stabilization due to a single amino acid pathogenic mutation

Mutations in the transmembrane (TM) domains of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) have been implicated in the induction of pathological phenotypes. These mutations are believed to stabilize the RTK dimers, and thus promote unregulated signaling. However, the energetics behind the pathology induction has not been determined. An example of a TM domain pathogenic mutation is the Ala391-->Glu mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), linked to Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans, as well as to bladder cancer. Here, we determine the free energy of dimerization of wild-type and mutant FGFR3 TM domain in lipid bilayers using F?rster resonance energy transfer, and we show that hydrogen bonding between Glu391 and the adjacent helix in the dimer is a feasible mechanism for dimer stabilization. The measured change in the free energy of dimerization due to the Ala391-->Glu pathogenic mutation is -1.3 kcal/mol, consistent with previous reports of hydrogen bond strengths in proteins. This is the first quantitative measurement of mutant RTK stabilization in a membrane environment. We show that this seemingly modest value can lead to a large increase in dimer fraction and thus profoundly affect RTK-mediated signal transduction.     

Inhibition of FGF‐FGFR and VEGF‐VEGFR signalling in cancer treatment

The sites of targeted therapy are limited and need to be expanded. The FGF‐FGFR signalling plays pivotal roles in the oncogenic process, and FGF/FGFR inhibitors are a promising method to treat FGFR‐altered tumours. The VEGF‐VEGFR signalling is the most crucial pathway to induce angiogenesis, and inhibiting this cascade has already got success in treating tumours. While both their efficacy and antitumour spectrum are limited, combining FGF/FGFR inhibitors with VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors are an excellent way to optimize the curative effect and expand the antitumour range because their combination can target both tumour cells and the tumour microenvironment. In addition, biomarkers need to be developed to predict the efficacy, and combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors is a promising direction in the future. The article will discuss the FGF‐FGFR signalling pathway, the VEGF‐VEGFR signalling pathway, the rationale of combining these two signalling pathways and recent small‐molecule FGFR/VEGFR inhibitors based on clinical trials.     

Effect of FGFR inhibitors on chicken limb development

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling appears essential for the regulation of limb development, but a full complexity of this regulation remains unclear. Here, we addressed the effect of three different chemical inhibitors of FGF receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFR) on growth and patterning of the chicken wings. The inhibitor PD173074 caused shorter and thinner wing when using lower concentration. Microinjection of higher PD173074 concentrations (25 and 50 mmol/L) into the wing bud at stage 20 resulted in the development of small wing rudiment or the total absence of the wing. Skeletal analysis revealed the absence of the radius but not ulna, deformation of metacarpal bones and/or a reduction of digits. Treatment with PD161570 resembled the effects of PD173074. NF449 induced shortening and deformation of the developing wing with reduced autopodium. These malformed embryos mostly died at the stage HH25–29. PD173074 reduced chondrogenesis also in the limb micromass cultures together with early inhibition of cartilaginous nodule formation, evidenced by lack of sulphated proteoglycan and peanut agglutinin expression. The effect of FGFR inhibition on limb development observed here was unlikely mediated by excessive cell death as none of the inhibitors caused massive apoptosis at low concentrations. More probably, FGFR inhibition decreased both the proliferation and adhesion of mesenchymal chondroprogenitors. We conclude that FGFR signalling contributes to the regulation of the anterior‐posterior patterning of zeugopod during chicken limb development.     

Switching addictions between HER2 and FGFR2 in HER2-positive breast tumor cells: FGFR2 as a potential target for salvage after lapatinib failure

Agents that target HER2 have improved the prognosis of patients with HER2-amplified breast cancers. However, patients who initially respond to such targeted therapy eventually develop resistance to the treatment. We have established a line of lapatinib-resistant breast cancer cells (UACC812/LR) by chronic exposure of HER2-amplified and lapatinib-sensitive UACC812 cells to the drug. The mechanism by which UACC812/LR acquired resistance to lapatinib was explored using comprehensive gene hybridization. The FGFR2 gene in UACC812/LR was highly amplified, accompanied by overexpression of FGFR2 and reduced expression of HER2, and a cell proliferation assay showed that the IC₅₀ of PD173074, a small-molecule inhibitor of FGFR tyrosine kinase, was 10,000 times lower in UACC812/LR than in the parent cells. PD173074 decreased the phosphorylation of FGFR2 and substantially induced apoptosis in UACC812/LR, but not in the parent cells. FGFR2 appeared to be a pivotal molecule for the survival of UACC812/LR as they became independent of the HER2 pathway, suggesting that a switch of addiction from the HER2 to the FGFR2 pathway enabled cancer cells to become resistant to HER2-targeted therapy. The present study is the first to implicate FGFR in the development of resistance to lapatinib in cancer, and suggests that FGFR-targeted therapy might become a promising salvage strategy after lapatinib failure in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.     

A new FGFR inhibitor disrupts the TGF‐β1‐induced fibrotic process

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is chronic and irreversible damage to the lung characterized by fibroblast activation and matrix deposition. Although recently approved novel anti‐fibrotic agents can improve the lung function and survival of patients with PF, the overall outcomes remain poor. In this study, a novel imidazopurine compound, 3‐(2‐chloro‐6‐fluorobenzyl)‐1,6,7‐trimethyl‐1H‐imidazo[2,1‐f]purine‐2,4(3H,8H)‐dione (IM‐1918), markedly inhibited transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β‐stimulated reporter activity and reduced the expression of representative fibrotic markers, such as connective tissue growth factor, fibronectin, collagen and α‐smooth muscle actin, on human lung fibroblasts. However, IM‐1918 neither decreased Smad‐2 and Smad‐3 nor affected p38MAPK and JNK. Instead, IM‐1918 reduced Akt and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation increased by TGF‐β. Additionally, IM‐1918 inhibited the phosphorylation of fibroblast growth factor receptors 1 and 3. In a bleomycin‐induced murine lung fibrosis model, IM‐1918 profoundly reduced fibrotic areas and decreased collagen and α‐smooth muscle actin accumulation. These results suggest that IM‐1918 can be applied to treat lung fibrosis.     

Mutant hFGF23(A12D) stimulates osteoblast differentiation through FGFR3

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 is a member of the FGF family involved in bone development by interacting with FGFRs. In a previous study, we discovered a mutant human FGF (hFGF) 23 (A12D) in the mandibular prognathism (MP) pedigree. However, the exact role of hFGF23(A12D) during bone formation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the function of hFGF23(A12D) in bone formation. We infected isolated rat calvaria (RC) cells with the recombinant lentivirus containing mutant hFGF23(A12D) and WT hFGF23 respectively. Real‐time PCR, western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay confirmed that hFGF23(A12D) failed to be secreted. We measured cell growth via the CCK‐8 assay based on Zsgreen expression, detected cell differentiation ability via alkaline phosphatase staining, performed RT‐PCR and found that hFGF23(A12D) inhibited proliferation of RC cells and stimulated the differentiation of RC cells to osteoblasts. Through RNA sequencing, RT‐PCR and western blot, we found increased expression of FGFR3. Through co‐immunoprecipitation assays and immunofluorescence staining, we revealed that hFGF23(A12D) activated the mitogen‐activated protein kinase signalling pathway through interactions with the intracellular domain of FGFR3. In summary, we determined the mechanisms of hFGF23(A12D) involved in osteoblast generation and formation which is specifically due to its interaction with FGFR3.     

Signaling by fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2)-activating mutations blocks mineralization and induces apoptosis in osteoblasts

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) play a critical role in bone growth and development affecting both chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. During the process of intramembranous ossification, which leads to the formation of the flat bones of the skull, unregulated FGF signaling can produce premature suture closure or craniosynostosis and other craniofacial deformities. Indeed, many human craniosynostosis disorders have been linked to activating mutations in FGF receptors (FGFR) 1 and 2, but the precise effects of FGF on the proliferation, maturation and differentiation of the target osteoblastic cells are still unclear. In this report, we studied the effects of FGF treatment on primary murine calvarial osteoblast, and on OB1, a newly established osteoblastic cell line. We show that FGF signaling has a dual effect on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. FGFs activate the endogenous FGFRs leading to the formation of a Grb2/FRS2/Shp2 complex and activation of MAP kinase. However, immature osteoblasts respond to FGF treatment with increased proliferation, whereas in differentiating cells FGF does not induce DNA synthesis but causes apoptosis. When either primary or OB1 osteoblasts are induced to differentiate, FGF signaling inhibits expression of alkaline phosphatase, and blocks mineralization. To study the effect of craniosynostosis-linked mutations in osteoblasts, we introduced FGFR2 carrying either the C342Y (Crouzon syndrome) or the S252W (Apert syndrome) mutation in OB1 cells. Both mutations inhibited differentiation, while dramatically inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we could also show that overexpression of FGF2 in transgenic mice leads to increased apoptosis in their calvaria. These data provide the first biochemical analysis of FGF signaling in osteoblasts, and show that FGF can act as a cell death inducer with distinct effects in proliferating and differentiating osteoblasts.     

A single-base change in the tyrosine kinase II domain of ovine FGFR3 causes hereditary chondrodysplasia in sheep

Ovine hereditary chondrodysplasia, or spider lamb syndrome (SLS), is a genetic disorder that is characterized by severe skeletal abnormalities and has resulted in substantial economic losses for sheep producers. Here we demonstrate that a non-synonymous T>A transversion in the highly conserved tyrosine kinase II domain of a positional candidate gene, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), is responsible for SLS. We also demonstrate that the mutant FGFR3 allele has an additive effect on long-bone length, calling into question the long-standing belief that SLS is inherited as a strict monogenic, Mendelian recessive trait. Instead, we suggest that SLS manifestation is determined primarily by the presence of the mutant FGFR3 allele, but it is also influenced by an animal's genetic background. In contrast to FGFR3 mutations causing dwarfism in humans, this single-base change is the only known natural mutation of FGFR3 that results in a skeletal overgrowth phenotype in any species.     

Evolutionarily conserved and divergent expression of members of the FGF receptor family among vertebrate embryos, as revealed by FGFR expression patterns in Xenopus

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) mediate many cell-cell signaling events during early development. While the actions of FGFs have been well-studied, the roles played by specific members of the FGF receptor (FGFR) family are poorly understood. To characterize the roles played by individual FGFRs we compared the regulation and expression of the three Xenopus FGFRs described to date (XFGFR-1, XFGFR-2, and XFGFR-4). First, we describe the expression of Xenopus FGFR-4; XFGFR-4 is present as a maternal mRNA and is found in the embryo through at least the tadpole stage. XFGFR-4 and XFGFR-1 mRNAs are present at comparable levels, arguing that both mediate FGF signaling during early development. Second, the expression of XFGFR-4 in animal caps differs from the expression of XFGFR-1 and XFGFR-2, suggesting that the FGFRs are independently regulated in ectoderm. Third, using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we show that XFGFR-1, XFGFR-2, and XFGFR-4 are expressed in dramatically different patterns, arguing that specific FGF signaling events are mediated by different members of the FGFR family. Among these, FGF signaling during the induction of neural crest cells is likely to be mediated by XFGFR-4. Comparison of our results with previously reported FGFR expression patterns reveals that FGFR-1 expression is highly conserved among vertebrate embryos, and FGFR-2 expression shows many features that are conserved and some that are divergent. In contrast, the expression pattern of FGFR-4 is highly divergent among vertebrate embryos. Received: 5 August 1999 / Accepted: 18 January 2000