Fibroblast growth factors: from molecular evolution to roles in development, metabolism and disease

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of structurally related polypeptides that are essential for embryonic development and that function postnatally as homoeostatic factors, in the response to injury, in the regulation of electrical excitability of cells and as hormones that regulate metabolism. In humans, FGF signalling is involved in developmental, neoplastic, metabolic and neurological diseases. Fgfs have been identified in metazoans but not in unicellular organisms. In vertebrates, FGFs can be classified as having intracrine, paracrine and endocrine functions. Paracrine and endocrine FGFs act via cell-surface FGF receptors (FGFRs); while, intracrine FGFs act independent of FGFRs. The evolutionary…