Heparanase: a key enzyme involved in cell invasion

CR Parish, C Freeman, MD Hulett - … et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Reviews on …, 2001 - Elsevier
CR Parish, C Freeman, MD Hulett
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Reviews on Cancer, 2001Elsevier
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of a complex network of macromolecules
which¢ lls the extracellular space in tissues and provides a molecular scaffolding for cells
within different organs. Basement membranes are a specialised ECM that is produced as a
thin, but tough, sheet-like structure by epithelial cells, endothelial cells and many
mesenchymal cells (for review see [1]). The membrane provides physical support for cells
and cell layers and represents a surface on which cells can migrate, proliferate and …
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of a complex network of macromolecules which¢ lls the extracellular space in tissues and provides a molecular scaffolding for cells within different organs. Basement membranes are a specialised ECM that is produced as a thin, but tough, sheet-like structure by epithelial cells, endothelial cells and many mesenchymal cells (for review see [1]). The membrane provides physical support for cells and cell layers and represents a surface on which cells can migrate, proliferate and differentiate. Basement membranes also constitute a major physical barrier to cell migration and, due to their dense structure, can act as a selective molecular sieve.
The major molecular constituents of basement membranes are collagen type IV, laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)[1]. HSPGs, which not only occur in the ECM but are also expressed on cell surfaces, are composed of a protein core to which side-chains of the complex glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulfate (HS), are attached [2]. Each HS sidechain is a linear polysaccharide of up to 400 sugar residues, composed of a repeating disaccharide of hexuronic and D-glucosamine that is substituted to
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