title: Interactions of human tenascin-X domains with dermal extracellular matrix molecules.
abstract: Tenascin-X (TNX) is a large 450 kDa extracellular matrix protein expressed in a variety of tissues including skin, joints and blood vessels. Deficiency of TNX causes a recessive form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome characterized by joint hypermobility, skin fragility and hyperextensible skin. Skin of TNX deficient patients shows abnormal elastic fibers and reduced collagen deposition. The mechanism by which TNX deficiency leads to connective tissue alterations is unknown. Here we report that C-terminal domains of human TNX bind to major dermal fibrillar collagens and tropoelastin. We have mapped these interactions to the fibronectin type III repeat 29 (FNIII29) and the C-terminal fibrinogen domain (FbgX) of TNX. In addition we found that FNIII29 of TNX accelerates collagen fibrillogenesis in vitro. We hypothesize that TNX contributes to matrix stability and is possibly involved in collagen fibril formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. d.egging@derma.umcn.nl
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Egging
authors.forename: Franka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van den Berkmortel
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bristow
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schalkwijk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004535:Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004549:Elastin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology*; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019063:Tenascin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D024022:Fibrillar Collagens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019063:Tenascin; C081865:tenascin X; D004549:Elastin