Development· 2026Q1
Heparan sulfate is essential for Drosophila FGF export
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Heparan sulfate (HS) is essential for the export of Drosophila fibroblast growth factor (FGF) Branchless (Bnl) from producing cells to the cell surface.
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Key points
- A new method monitors in vivo export of Drosophila FGF Branchless (Bnl).
- Bnl is detected on the surface of ~10% of producing cells.
- Heparan sulfate (HS) depletion reduces cell surface Bnl.
- HS depletion impairs cytoneme activity in recipient cells.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Binding of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) to a heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) is required for paracrine FGF signaling. To improve our understanding of FGF:HSPG association, we developed a method to monitor the in vivo export of Drosophila Branchless (Bnl), an FGF ortholog. We detected Bnl on the surface of ∼10% of Bnl-producing cells, and the amount of Bnl was reduced on the surface of cells depleted of heparan sulfate (HS). HS depletion also non-autonomously decreased the activity of cytonemes that extend from cells that receive Bnl. These results are consistent with the idea that Bnl export to the cell surface is regulated not constitutive, that intracellular Bnl:HSPG binding in producing cells is essential for FGF export, and that cells that take up Bnl actively participate in its release from producing cells.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Development, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Cell Biology
Cell BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology