Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules pp 1–6Cite as

FGF21

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 73 Accesses

Synonyms

Fibroblast growth factor 21

Historical Background

The FGF family has 22 members and is divided into 7 subfamilies based on their sequence similarity and phylogeny (So and Leung 2016). FGF21 belongs to an atypical subfamily, which lacks the conventional FGF heparin-binding domain, and thus FGF21 can diffuse away from the tissues of production and function as an endocrine factor (Ogawa et al. 2007). Nishimura’s team first cloned the human and mouse FGF21 genes in 2000 by means of PCR technique (Tetsuya Nishimura et al. 2000). Human FGF21 is located on chromosome 19 and mouse FGF21 is located on chromosome 7. Interestingly, the mammalian FGF21 gene is highly conserved; for example, mature FGF21 consists of 210 and 209 amino acids in mice and humans, respectively, and the two proteins share 75% of similarity of amino acid sequences (Tetsuya Nishimura et al. 2000).

FGF21 Signaling and Regulation

Most FGFs are small in chemical nature, which only have molecular weight between 17 and...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Badman MK, et al. Hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 is regulated by PPARalpha and is a key mediator of hepatic lipid metabolism in ketotic states. Cell Metab. 2007;5(6):426–37.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bae KH, et al. Transcriptional regulation of fibroblast growth factor 21 expression. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2014;29(2):105–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutchak PA, et al. Fibroblast growth factor-21 regulates PPARgamma activity and the antidiabetic actions of thiazolidinediones. Cell. 2012;148(3):556–67.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher FM, Maratos-Flier E. Understanding the Physiology of FGF21. Annu Rev Physiol. 2016;78:223–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher FM, et al. Obesity is a fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21)-resistant state. Diabetes. 2010;59(11):2781–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher FM, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 limits lipotoxicity by promoting hepatic fatty acid activation in mice on methionine and choline-deficient diets. Gastroenterology. 2014;147(5):1073–83. e1076.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Inagaki T, et al. Endocrine regulation of the fasting response by PPARalpha-mediated induction of fibroblast growth factor 21. Cell Metab. 2007;5(6):415–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kharitonenkov A, Adams AC. Inventing new medicines: the FGF21 story. Mol Metab. 2014;3(3):221–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kharitonenkov A, et al. FGF-21 as a novel metabolic regulator. J Clin Invest. 2005;115(6):1627–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kharitonenkov A, et al. The metabolic state of diabetic monkeys is regulated by fibroblast growth factor-21. Endocrinology. 2007;148(2):774–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kliewer SA, Mangelsdorf DJ. Fibroblast growth factor 21: from pharmacology to physiology. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(1):254S–7S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Markan KR, et al. Circulating FGF21 is liver derived and enhances glucose uptake during refeeding and overfeeding. Diabetes. 2014;63(12):4057–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura T, et al. Identification of a novel FGF, FGF-21, preferentially expressed in the liver. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000;1492(1):203–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa Y, et al. BetaKlotho is required for metabolic activity of fibroblast growth factor 21. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007;104(18):7432–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • So WY, Leung PS. Fibroblast growth factor 21 as an emerging therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Med Res Rev. 2016;36(4):672–704.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wente W, et al. Fibroblast growth factor-21 improves pancreatic beta-cell function and survival by activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt signaling pathways. Diabetes. 2006;55(9):2470–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Woo YC, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 as an emerging metabolic regulator: clinical perspectives. Clin Endocrinol. 2013;78(4):489–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 reverses hepatic steatosis, increases energy expenditure, and improves insulin sensitivity in diet-induced obese mice. Diabetes. 2009;58(1):250–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yie J, et al. FGF21 N- and C-termini play different roles in receptor interaction and activation. FEBS Lett. 2009;583(1):19–24.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F, et al. Minireview: roles of fibroblast growth factors 19 and 21 in metabolic regulation and chronic diseases. Mol Endocrinol. 2015;29(10):1400–13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 609A, 6/F, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China

    Tsz Wai Cheng & Po Sing Leung

Authors
  1. Tsz Wai Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Po Sing Leung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Po Sing Leung .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Science, Department of Molecular Science and Tech College of Natural Science, Suwon, Korea (Republic of)

    Sangdun Choi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Cheng, T.W., Leung, P.S. (2017). FGF21. In: Choi, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6438-9_101992-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6438-9_101992-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6438-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6438-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation