Syndecans: synergistic activators of cell adhesion.
Cell-surface proteoglycans participate in cell adhesion, growth-factor signalling, lipase activity and anticoagulation. Until recently, only the roles of the glycosaminoglycan chains were investigated. Now, with molecular characterization of several core proteins, the roles of each individual proteoglycan species in cellular signalling pathways are being determined. This review describes some of the recent advances in our understanding of the major transmembrane group of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, the syndecans, including evidence that they play an important role as accessory signalling molecules modulating integrin-based adhesion.
Dept of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294-0019, USA. awoods@cellbio.bhs.uab.edu
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Couchman
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053667:Syndecans
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D053667:Syndecans