New insights into the molecular interaction of the C-terminal sequence of CXCL4 with fibroblast growth factor-2

Full-length CXCL4 chemokine and a peptide derived from its carboxyl-terminal domain exhibits significant antiangiogenic and anti-tumor activity in vivo and in vitro by interacting with fibroblast growth factor (FGF). In this study we used NMR spectroscopy to characterize at a molecular level the interactions between CXCL4 (47–70) and FGF-2 identifying the peptide residues mainly involved in the contact area with the growth factor. Altogether NMR data point to a major role of the hydrophobic contributions of the C-terminal region of CXCL4 (47–70) peptide in addition to specific contacts established by the N-terminal region through cysteine side chain. The proposed recognition mode constitutes a rationale for the observed effects of CXCL4 (47–70) on FGF-2 biological activity and lays the basis for developing novel inhibitors of angiogenesis.