title: The syndecans, tuners of transmembrane signaling.
abstract: Syndecans, a family of transmembrane proteoglycans, are putative integrators of extracellular signals. The interaction of syndecans with extracellular ligands via particular motifs in their heparan sulfate chains, their clustering, association with particular cytoskeletal structures, binding to cytoplasmic effectors, and intracellular phosphorylation represent as many means to bring this role to a successful conclusion. In this review, we will briefly address the characteristics of syndecans as heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and focus mainly on the properties, binding interactions, and potential signaling functions of the cytoplasmic domains of these molecules.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Glycobiology and Developmental Genetics, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: David
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D053667:Syndecans
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D053667:Syndecans