Recombinant Rat FGF-Basic

Recombinant Rat FGF-Basic (FGF2/bFGF) is widely used in research due to its potent ability to stimulate cell proliferation, support tissue regeneration, promote angiogenesis, and maintain stem cell pluripotency in rat models. This makes it a valuable tool for studies in developmental biology, regenerative medicine, neurobiology, and tissue engineering.

Key scientific reasons to use recombinant rat FGF-Basic include:

• Cell Proliferation and Differentiation: FGF-Basic is a strong mitogen for a variety of cell types, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and neural progenitors. It is essential for maintaining and expanding undifferentiated stem cells in culture, supporting both self-renewal and pluripotency.

• Tissue Regeneration and Repair: FGF-Basic accelerates wound healing, enhances tissue repair, and stimulates regeneration of damaged tissues such as skin, muscle, and blood vessels. In rat models, it has been shown to promote bone augmentation and vertical bone regeneration when delivered with appropriate carriers.

• Angiogenesis: FGF-Basic is a potent inducer of angiogenesis, increasing capillary density and collateral blood flow in ischemic tissues. In rat studies, exogenous FGF-Basic infusion markedly improves vascular expansion and muscle function following arterial insufficiency.

• Neurobiology Applications: FGF-Basic supports neuronal survival, differentiation, and neurogenesis. It is used to study neural stem cell proliferation, recovery after spinal cord injury, and protection against neurovascular damage in rat models.

• Bioassays and Mechanistic Studies: Recombinant rat FGF-Basic is used in bioassays to investigate signaling pathways, cellular responses to growth factors, and interactions with other molecules in rat-derived cells and tissues.

• Periodontal and Dental Research: FGF-Basic enhances gum and bone regeneration, making it useful for studies on periodontal wound healing and dental tissue engineering.

• Cardioprotection: FGF-Basic has demonstrated protective effects during heart injury in rat models, supporting its use in cardiovascular research.

Experimental advantages:

• Species-specific recombinant protein ensures optimal activity and compatibility with rat cells and tissues.
• High purity and defined concentration allow for reproducible results in controlled experiments.

Typical applications:

• Stem cell culture and maintenance
• Bone and tissue regeneration models
• Angiogenesis assays
• Neuroprotection and neural differentiation studies
• Wound healing and repair assays

In summary, recombinant rat FGF-Basic is a versatile and essential growth factor for rat-based research applications requiring robust cell proliferation, tissue regeneration, and angiogenic activity.

Yes, recombinant rat FGF-basic (FGF2/bFGF) can be used as a standard for quantification or calibration in ELISA assays, provided it matches the specificity and calibration requirements of your assay.

Supporting details:

• Recombinant rat FGF-basic is commonly used as an ELISA standard. Commercial ELISA kits for mouse/rat FGF-basic (FGF2/bFGF) are calibrated using highly purified, E. coli-expressed recombinant rat FGF-basic. The standard curve in these assays is generated using this recombinant protein, and the assay is validated to quantitate both recombinant and natural FGF-basic, with parallel dose-response curves.

• Assay specificity and calibration: The ELISA is designed to recognize both natural and recombinant forms of rat FGF-basic, and the calibration is performed against the recombinant standard. This ensures that quantification is accurate for samples containing either form, as long as the recombinant standard is of high purity and correctly quantified.

• Formulation considerations: Recombinant FGF-basic is available with or without carrier proteins (such as BSA). For use as an ELISA standard, the formulation with BSA is often recommended to enhance stability and reproducibility, unless BSA interferes with your assay.

• Best practices:

  • Ensure the recombinant standard is well-characterized (purity, concentration, and activity).
  • Prepare a fresh standard curve for each assay run, using serial dilutions of the recombinant protein in the same buffer/matrix as your samples.
  • Confirm that the recombinant standard covers the expected concentration range of your samples.

• Limitations: The recombinant standard should be from the same species and sequence region as the analyte you wish to quantify. Cross-reactivity with other species or isoforms should be checked in the assay documentation.

In summary: Recombinant rat FGF-basic is suitable and widely used as a standard for ELISA quantification and calibration, provided it is compatible with your assay system and properly handled.

Recombinant Rat FGF-Basic (FGF2/bFGF) has been validated for a wide range of applications in published research, primarily focusing on its roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, tissue repair, and neuroprotection. Key applications supported by published studies include:

• Bioassay: Used to assess biological activity in whole cell systems, including studies on neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival (e.g., in models of oxygen/glucose deprivation, spinal cord injury, and neurovascular unit protection).
• In Vivo Studies: Applied in animal models to evaluate wound healing, tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, and revascularization, such as in excisional skin wound models and guided bone regeneration.
• Cell Culture: Frequently used as a supplement in cell culture media to support the growth and maintenance of various cell types, including neural progenitor cells, chondrocytes, and stem cells.
• Neuroprotection and Neural Repair: Investigated for its ability to promote repair following spinal cord injury, modulate reactive astrocyte transformation, and protect against neuronal injury.
• Metabolic Studies: Shown to reduce serum glucose and lipid levels in diabetic rat models, indicating potential metabolic regulatory effects.
• Angiogenesis and Tissue Regeneration: Validated for promoting angiogenesis and accelerating tissue regeneration in wound healing and tissue engineering contexts.

These applications highlight the versatility of Recombinant Rat FGF-Basic in both in vitro and in vivo research settings, particularly in neuroscience, regenerative medicine, and metabolic disease studies.

Reconstitution Protocol

Pre-reconstitution preparation is critical for successful protein recovery. Before opening the vial, centrifuge it in a microcentrifuge for 20-30 seconds to drive any lyophilized protein that may be lodged in the cap or on the vial sides to the bottom. This step prevents loss of material during the reconstitution process.

Reconstitution Conditions

Recombinant Rat FGF-Basic should be reconstituted at a concentration of 100 μg/mL in sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing at least 0.1% human or bovine serum albumin (BSA). The inclusion of BSA as a carrier protein is essential to prevent protein adsorption to container surfaces and loss of biological activity.

For applications requiring carrier-free preparations, the protein can be reconstituted at 100 μg/mL in sterile PBS without BSA, though this formulation requires more careful handling.

Reconstitution technique: Gently pipette the reconstitution buffer down the sides of the vial rather than directly onto the lyophilized cake. This gentle approach minimizes foaming and protein denaturation.

Preparation for Cell Culture Use

Once reconstituted, the stock solution should be further diluted in appropriate assay buffer containing at least 0.1% BSA just prior to use. This is particularly important because recombinant FGF-Basic can lose activity in purely aqueous solutions.

For long-term use in cell culture applications, refilter diluted material through a 0.22 μm filter membrane to ensure sterility.

Storage and Stability

Store the reconstituted protein using a manual defrost freezer and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, as these significantly compromise protein stability and biological activity. Aliquots should be prepared according to your experimental needs to minimize freeze-thaw exposure.

Quality Verification

You can confirm successful reconstitution by running a small amount on SDS-PAGE; a protein band at the expected molecular weight (approximately 16-17 kDa for the rat protein) should be visible with as little as 10 ng of protein loaded.