Syndecans, signaling, and cell adhesion.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Syndecans are transmembrane proteoglycans which can participate in diverse cell surface interactions, involving extracellular matrix macromolecules, growth factors, protease inhibitors, and even viral entry. Currently, all extracellular interactions are believed to be mediated by distinct structures within the heparan sulfate chains, leaving the roles of chondroitin sulfate chains and extracellular portion of the core proteins to be elucidated. Evidence that syndecans are a class of receptor involved in cell adhesion is mounting, and their small cytoplasmic domains may link with the microfilament cytoskeleton, thereby mediating signaling events. The molecular details are unknown, but the conservation of regions of syndecan cytoplasmic domains, and a strong tendency for homotypic association, support the idea that the ligand-induced clustering may be a discrete source of specific transmembrane signaling from matrix to cytoskeleton, as proposed for other classes of adhesion receptors.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Cellular Biochemistry
Volume61
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)578-84
Number of pages6
ISSN0730-2312
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1996

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cell Adhesion; Extracellular Matrix; Membrane Glycoproteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Proteoglycans; Signal Transduction; Syndecans

ID: 5165074