Direct binding of RNA to VEGF. (A) Binding of biotinylated RNA to immobilized VEGF₁₆₅, VEGF₁₂₁, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or placenta-derived growth factor (PlGF-1) was performed in a solid binding assay, and data are corrected for unspecific binding to BSA. (B) Binding of biotinylated RNA (6.25 μg/mL) to VEGF₁₆₅ was performed in the absence (control) or presence of 40-times molar excess of unlabeled RNA or heparin. Data represent the mean (± SEM; n = 4) of a typical experiment.