Though initially discovered as a proto-oncogene in virally induced mouse mammary tumors, FGF3 is primarily active in prenatal stages, where it is found at various sites at specific times. FGF3 is crucial during development, as its roles include tail formation, inner ear development and hindbrain induction and patterning. FGF3 expression and function are highly conserved in vertebrates, while it also interacts with other FGFs in various developmental processes. Intriguingly, while it is classified as a classical paracrine signaling factor, murine FGF3 was uniquely found to also act in an intracrine manner, depending on alternative translation initiation sites. Corresponding with its conserved role in inner ear morphogenesis, mutations in FGF3 in humans are associated with LAMM syndrome, a disorder that include hearing loss and inner ear malformations. While recent studies indicate of some FGF3 presence in post-natal stages, emerging evidences of its upregulation in various human tumors and cariogenic processes in mouse models, highlights the importance of its close regulation in adult tissues. Altogether, the broad and dynamic expression pattern and regulation of FGF3 in embryonic and adult tissues together with its link to congenital malformations and cancer, calls for further discoveries of its diverse roles in health and disease.

虽然 FGF3 最初是在病毒诱导的小鼠乳腺肿瘤中作为原癌基因被发现的，但它主要在产前阶段活跃，在特定时间的不同部位被发现。FGF3 在发育过程中至关重要，因为它的作用包括尾部形成、内耳发育以及后脑诱导和模式形成。FGF3 的表达和功能在脊椎动物中高度保守，同时它还在各种发育过程中与其他 FGF 相互作用。有趣的是，虽然鼠 FGF3 被归类为经典的旁分泌信号因子，但我们发现鼠 FGF3 也以内分泌方式发挥作用，具体取决于替代的翻译起始位点。与 FGF3 在内耳形态发生中的保守作用相对应，人类 FGF3 突变与 LAMM 综合征相关，LAMM 综合征是一种包括听力损失和内耳畸形的疾病。虽然最近的研究表明 FGF3 在出生后阶段存在，但新出现的证据表明 FGF3 在各种人类肿瘤和小鼠模型的致龋过程中上调，凸显了其在成人组织中密切调节的重要性。总而言之，FGF3 在胚胎和成人组织中广泛、动态的表达模式和调节，及其与先天畸形和癌症的联系，需要进一步发现其在健康和疾病中的不同作用。