FGFR‐4, a novel acidic fibroblast growth factor receptor with a distinct expression pattern

We have previously identified two novel members of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) gene family expressed in K562 erythroleukemia cells. Here we report cDNA cloning and analysis of one of these genes, named FGFR‐4. The deduced amino acid sequence of FGFR‐4 is 55% identical with both previously characterized FGFRs, flg and bek, and has the structural characteristics of a FGFR family member including three immunoglobulin‐like domains in its extracellular part. Antibodies raised against the carboxy terminus of FGFR‐4 detected 95 and 110 kd glycoproteins with a protein backbone of 88 kd in COS cells transfected with a FGFR‐4 cDNA expression vector. The FGFR‐4 protein expressed in COS cells could also be affinity‐labeled with radioiodinated acidic FGF. Furthermore, ligand binding experiments demonstrated that FGFR‐4 binds acidic FGF with high affinity but does not bind basic FGF. FGFR‐4 is expressed as a 3.0 kb mRNA in the adrenal, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, intestine, striated muscle and spleen tissues of human fetuses. The expression pattern of FGFR‐4 is distinct from that of flg and bek and the yet additional member of the same gene family, FGFR‐3, which we have also cloned from the K562 leukemia cells. Our results suggest that FGFR‐4 along with other fibroblast growth factor receptors performs cell lineage and tissue‐specific functions.