Fig. 4.
Two-way directional communication between stroma and epithelium mediated by fibroblast growth factors. Stromal FGF7/FGF10 and epithelial FGFR2IIIb mediate stromal to epithelial signaling, while epithelial FGF9 signaling to stromal FGFR3 completes the two-way conversation. Androgen may differentially modify either the signal or reception in either compartment. Either partitioned FGFR signal may affect reciprocal cross-talk back to the other compartment. FGF, fibroblast growth factor; AR, androgen receptor; HS, cell- and FGFR-specific heparan sulfate (wavy line).