Binding of epidermal growth factor to primary and permanent cultures of mouse epidermal cells: inhibition by tumor-promoting phorbol esters.

High affinity binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was detected with mouse epidermal cells in primary culture and with 2 epidermal cell lines maintained in permanent culture. EGF binding was inhibited by low concentrations of the tumor promoters 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phorbol didecanoate (PDD), but not by the non-promoting phorbol esters 4-O-methyl TPA and 4 alpha-PDD.