Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Proteoglycans: from structural compounds to signaling molecules

  • Review
  • Published:
Cell and Tissue Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our knowledge of proteoglycan biology has significantly expanded over the past decade with the discovery of a host of new members of this multifunctional family leading to their present classification into three major categories: (1) small leucine-rich proteoglycans, 2) modular proteoglycans, and 3) cell-surface proteoglycans. In addition to being structural proteins, proteoglycans play a major role in signal transduction with regulatory functions in various cellular processes. Being mostly extracellular, they are upstream of many signaling cascades and are capable of affecting intracellular phosphorylation events and modulating distinct pathways, including those driven by bone morphogenetic protein/transforming growth factor superfamily members, receptor tyrosine kinases, the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor, and Toll-like receptors. Mechanistic insights into the molecular and cellular functions of proteoglycans have revealed both the sophistication of these regulatory proteins and the challenges that remain in uncovering the entirety of their biological functions. This review aims to summarize the multiple functions of proteoglycans with special emphasis on their intricate composition and the newly described signaling events in which these molecules play a key role.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Wahab N, Wicks SJ, Mason RM, Chantry A (2002) Decorin suppresses transforming growth factor-beta-induced expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in human mesangial cells through a mechanism that involves Ca2+−dependent phosphorylation of Smad2 at serine-240. Biochem J 362:643–649

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alexopoulou AN, Multhaupt HA, Couchman JR (2007) Syndecans in wound healing, inflammation and vascular biology. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 39:505–528

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ameye L, Young MF (2002) Mice deficient in small leucine-rich proteoglycans: novel in vivo models for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, muscular dystrophy, and corneal diseases. Glycobiology 12:107R–116R

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett K, Franch-Marro X, Vincent JP (2008) Glypican-mediated endocytosis of Hedgehog has opposite effects in flies and mice. Trends Cell Biol 18:360–363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernfield M, Gotte M, Park PW, Reizes O, Fitzgerald ML, Lincecum J, Zako M (1999) Functions of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Annu Rev Biochem 68:729–777

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bi Y, Stuelten CH, Kilts T, Wadhwa S, Iozzo RV, Robey PG, Chen XD, Young MF (2005) Extracellular matrix proteoglycans control the fate of bone marrow stromal cells. J Biol Chem 280:30481–30489

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bi Y, Ehirchiou D, Kilts TM, Inkson CA, Embree MC, Sonoyama W, Li L, Leet AI, Seo BM, Zhang L, Shi S, Young MF (2007) Identification of tendon stem/progenitor cells and the role of the extracellular matrix in their niche. Nat Med 13:1219–1227

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bix G, Iozzo RV (2008) Novel interactions of perlecan: unraveling perlecan's role in angiogenesis. Microsc Res Tech 71:339–348

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Border WA, Noble NA, Yamamoto T, Harper JR, Yamaguchi Y, Pierschbacher MD, Ruoslahti E (1992) Natural inhibitor of transforming growth factor-beta protects against scarring in experimental kidney disease. Nature 360:361–364

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brandan E, Retamal C, Cabello-Verrugio C, Marzolo MP (2006) The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein functions as an endocytic receptor for decorin. J Biol Chem 281:31562-31571

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brandan E, Cabello-Verrugio C, Vial C (2008) Novel regulatory mechanisms for the proteoglycans decorin and biglycan during muscle formation and muscular dystrophy. Matrix Biol 27:700–708

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Briggs MD, Choi H, Warman ML, Loughlin JA, Wordsworth P, Sykes BC, Irven CM, Smith M, Wynne-Davies R, Lipson MH, et al (1994) Genetic mapping of a locus for multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (EDM2) to a region of chromosome 1 containing a type IX collagen gene. Am J Hum Genet 55:678–684

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown EL, Wooten RM, Johnson BJ, Iozzo RV, Smith A, Dolan MC, Guo BP, Weis JJ, Hook M (2001) Resistance to Lyme disease in decorin-deficient mice. J Clin Invest 107:845-852

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bruckner P, Mendler M, Steinmann B, Huber S, Winterhalter KH (1988) The structure of human collagen type IX and its organization in fetal and infant cartilage fibrils. J Biol Chem 263:16911–16917

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bulow HE, Hobert O (2006) The molecular diversity of glycosaminoglycans shapes animal development. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 22:375–407

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson EC, Lin M, Liu CY, Kao WW, Perez VL, Pearlman E (2007) Keratocan and lumican regulate neutrophil infiltration and corneal clarity in lipopolysaccharide-induced keratitis by direct interaction with CXCL1. J Biol Chem 282:35502–35509

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carter EM, Raggio CL (2009) Genetic and orthopedic aspects of collagen disorders. Curr Opin Pediatr 21:46–54

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chakravarti S (2002) Functions of lumican and fibromodulin: lessons from knockout mice. Glycoconj J 19:287–293

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen XD, Fisher LW, Robey PG, Young MF (2004) The small leucine-rich proteoglycan biglycan modulates BMP-4-induced osteoblast differentiation. FASEB J 18:948–958

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Gotte M, Liu J, Park PW (2008) Microbial subversion of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Mol Cells 26:415–426

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costell M, Gustafsson E, Aszodi A, Morgelin M, Bloch W, Hunziker E, Addicks K, Timpl R, Fassler R (1999) Perlecan maintains the integrity of cartilage and some basement membranes. J Cell Biol 147:1109–1122

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Couchman JR (2003) Syndecans: proteoglycan regulators of cell-surface microdomains? Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4:926–937

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danielson KG, Baribault H, Holmes DF, Graham H, Kadler KE, Iozzo RV (1997) Targeted disruption of decorin leads to abnormal collagen fibril morphology and skin fragility. J Cell Biol 136:729-743

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danielson KG, Siracusa LD, Donovan PJ, Iozzo RV (1999) Decorin, epiphycan, and lumican genes are closely linked on murine chromosome 10 and are deleted in lethal steel mutants. Mamm Genome 10:201–203

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Day AJ, Prestwich GD (2002) Hyaluronan-binding proteins: tying up the giant. J Biol Chem 277:4585–4588

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Erickson AC, Couchman JR (2000) Still more complexity in mammalian basement membranes. J Histochem Cytochem 48:1291–1306

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Esko JD, Lindahl U (2001) Molecular diversity of heparan sulfate. J Clin Invest 108:169–173

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farach-Carson MC, Carson DD (2007) Perlecan-a multifunctional extracellular proteoglycan scaffold. Glycobiology 17:897–905

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferdous Z, Lazaro LD, Iozzo RV, Hook M, Grande-Allen KJ (2008) Influence of cyclic strain and decorin deficiency on 3D cellularized collagen matrices. Biomaterials 29:2740-2748

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Filmus J, Capurro M, Rast J (2008) Glypicans. Genome Biol 9:224

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fransson LA, Belting M, Cheng F, Jonsson M, Mani K, Sandgren S (2004) Novel aspects of glypican glycobiology. Cell Mol Life Sci 61:1016–1024

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gandhi NS, Mancera RL (2008) The structure of glycosaminoglycans and their interactions with proteins. Chem Biol Drug Des 72:455–482

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gleghorn L, Ramesar R, Beighton P, Wallis G (2005) A mutation in the variable repeat region of the aggrecan gene (AGC1) causes a form of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia associated with severe, premature osteoarthritis. Am J Hum Genet 77:484–490

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldoni S, Iozzo RV (2008) Tumor microenvironment: modulation by decorin and related molecules harboring leucine-rich tandem motifs. Int J Cancer 123:2473–2479

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldoni S, Humphries A, Nystrom A, Sattar S, Owens RT, McQuillan DJ, Ireton K and Iozzo RV (2009) Decorin is a novel antagonistic ligand of the Met receptor. J Cell Biol jcb.200901129

  • Gotte M (2003) Syndecans in inflammation. FASEB J 17:575–591

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haddock G, Cross AK, Allan S, Sharrack B, Callaghan J, Bunning RA, Buttle DJ, Woodroofe MN (2007) Brevican and phosphacan expression and localization following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat. Biochem Soc Trans 35:692–694

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hardingham TE, Fosang AJ (1992) Proteoglycans: many forms and many functions. FASEB J 6:861–870

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey SJ, Jarad G, Cunningham J, Rops AL, Vlag J van der, Berden JH, Moeller MJ, Holzman LB, Burgess RW, Miner JH (2007) Disruption of glomerular basement membrane charge through podocyte-specific mutation of agrin does not alter glomerular permselectivity. Am J Pathol 171:139–152

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hascall VC, Majors AK, De La Motte CA, Evanko SP, Wang A, Drazba JA, Strong SA, Wight TN (2004) Intracellular hyaluronan: a new frontier for inflammation? Biochim Biophys Acta 1673:3–12

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hildebrand A, Romaris M, Rasmussen LM, Heinegard D, Twardzik DR, Border WA, Ruoslahti E (1994) Interaction of the small interstitial proteoglycans biglycan, decorin and fibromodulin with transforming growth factor beta. Biochem J 302:527–534

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang K, Wu LD (2008) Aggrecanase and aggrecan degradation in osteoarthritis: a review. J Int Med Res 36:1149–1160

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huxley-Jones J, Robertson DL, Boot-Handford RP (2007) On the origins of the extracellular matrix in vertebrates. Matrix Biol 26:2–11

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iozzo RV (1998) Matrix proteoglycans: from molecular design to cellular function. Annu Rev Biochem 67:609–652

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iozzo RV (1999) The biology of the small leucine-rich proteoglycans. Functional network of interactive proteins. J Biol Chem 274:18843–18846

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iozzo RV (2005) Basement membrane proteoglycans: from cellar to ceiling. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 6:646–656

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iozzo RV, Murdoch AD (1996) Proteoglycans of the extracellular environment: clues from the gene and protein side offer novel perspectives in molecular diversity and function. FASEB J 10:598–614

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Itano N (2008) Simple primary structure, complex turnover regulation and multiple roles of hyaluronan. J Biochem 144:131–137

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvelainen H, Puolakkainen P, Pakkanen S, Brown EL, Hook M, Iozzo RV, Sage EH, Wight TN (2006) A role for decorin in cutaneous wound healing and angiogenesis. Wound Repair Regen 14:443-452

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang D, Liang J, Noble PW (2007) Hyaluronan in tissue injury and repair. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 23:435–461

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kanwar YS, Farquhar MG (1979) Presence of heparan sulfate in the glomerular basement membrane. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:1303–1307

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kao WW, Liu CY (2002) Roles of lumican and keratocan on corneal transparency. Glycoconj J 19:275–285

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Takahashi H, Lin WW, Descargues P, Grivennikov S, Kim Y, Luo JL, Karin M (2009) Carcinoma-produced factors activate myeloid cells through TLR2 to stimulate metastasis. Nature 457:102–106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kjellen L, Lindahl U (1991) Proteoglycans: structures and interactions. Annu Rev Biochem 60:443–475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolb M, Margetts PJ, Galt T, Sime PJ, Xing Z, Schmidt M, Gauldie J (2001) Transient transgene expression of decorin in the lung reduces the fibrotic response to bleomycin. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 163:770-777

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolset SO, Tveit H (2008) Serglycin—structure and biology. Cell Mol Life Sci 65:1073–1085

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kresse H, Schonherr E (2001) Proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix and growth control. J Cell Physiol 189:266–274

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kusche-Gullberg M, Kjellen L (2003) Sulfotransferases in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. Curr Opin Struct Biol 13:605–611

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kwok JC, Afshari F, Garcia-Alias G, Fawcett JW (2008) Proteoglycans in the central nervous system: plasticity, regeneration and their stimulation with chondroitinase ABC. Restor Neurol Neurosci 26:131–145

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lander AD, Selleck SB (2000) The elusive functions of proteoglycans: in vivo veritas. J Cell Biol 148:227–232

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Schwartz NB, Vertel BM (1993) cDNA cloning of chick cartilage chondroitin sulfate (aggrecan) core protein and identification of a stop codon in the aggrecan gene associated with the chondrodystrophy, nanomelia. J Biol Chem 268:23504–23511

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin W, Burgess RW, Dominguez B, Pfaff SL, Sanes JR, Lee KF (2001) Distinct roles of nerve and muscle in postsynaptic differentiation of the neuromuscular synapse. Nature 410:1057–1064

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin X (2004) Functions of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in cell signaling during development. Development 131:6009–6021

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malavaki C, Mizumoto S, Karamanos N, Sugahara K (2008) Recent advances in the structural study of functional chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate in health and disease. Connect Tissue Res 49:133–139

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald J, Hascall VC (2002) Hyaluronan minireview series. J Biol Chem 277:4575–4579

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McEwan PA, Scott PG, Bishop PN, Bella J (2006) Structural correlations in the family of small leucine-rich repeat proteins and proteoglycans. J Struct Biol 155:294–305

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno M, Munoz R, Aroca F, Labarca M, Brandan E, Larrain J (2005) Biglycan is a new extracellular component of the chordin-BMP4 signaling pathway. EMBO J 24:1397–1405

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Myers JC, Amenta PS, Dion AS, Sciancalepore JP, Nagaswami C, Weisel JW, Yurchenco PD (2007) The molecular structure of human tissue type XV presents a unique conformation among the collagens. Biochem J 404:535–544

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nikitovic D, Katonis P, Tsatsakis A, Karamanos NK, Tzanakakis GN (2008) Lumican, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan. IUBMB Life 60:818–823

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ohta K, Lupo G, Kuriyama S, Keynes R, Holt CE, Harris WA, Tanaka H, Ohnuma S (2004) Tsukushi functions as an organizer inducer by inhibition of BMP activity in cooperation with chordin. Dev Cell 7:347–358

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oldberg A, Antonsson P, Hedbom E, Heinegard D (1990) Structure and function of extracellular matrix proteoglycans. Biochem Soc Trans 18:789–792

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen BR (1997) Collagen IX. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 29:555–558

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Park H, Huxley-Jones J, Boot-Handford RP, Bishop PN, Attwood TK, Bella J (2008) LRRCE: a leucine-rich repeat cysteine capping motif unique to the chordate lineage. BMC Genomics 9:599

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Park PW, Reizes O, Bernfield M (2000) Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans: selective regulators of ligand-receptor encounters. J Biol Chem 275:29923–29926

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pejler G, Abrink M, Wernersson S (2009) Serglycin proteoglycan: regulating the storage and activities of hematopoietic proteases. Biofactors 35:61–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perrimon N, Bernfield M (2001) Cellular functions of proteoglycans—an overview. Semin Cell Dev Biol 12:65–67

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pilia G, Hughes-Benzie RM, MacKenzie A, Baybayan P, Chen EY, Huber R, Neri G, Cao A, Forabosco A, Schlessinger D (1996) Mutations in GPC3, a glypican gene, cause the Simpson-Golabi-Behmel overgrowth syndrome. Nat Genet 12:241–247

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prydz K, Dalen KT (2000) Synthesis and sorting of proteoglycans. J Cell Sci 113:193–205

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rauch U (2007) Brain matrix: structure, turnover and necessity. Biochem Soc Trans 35:656–660

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers KD, San Antonio JD, Jacenko O (2008) Heparan sulfate proteoglycans: a GAGgle of skeletal-hematopoietic regulators. Dev Dyn 237:2622–2642

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roughley PJ (2006) The structure and function of cartilage proteoglycans. Eur Cell Mater 12:92–101

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer L, Iozzo RV (2008) Biological functions of the small leucine-rich proteoglycans: from genetics to signal transduction. J Biol Chem 283:21305–21309

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer L, Raslik I, Grone HJ, Schonherr E, Macakova K, Ugorcakova J, Budny S, Schaefer RM, Kresse H (2001) Small proteoglycans in human diabetic nephropathy: discrepancy between glomerular expression and protein accumulation of decorin, biglycan, lumican, and fibromodulin. FASEB J 15:559–561

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer L, Macakova K, Raslik I, Micegova M, Grone HJ, Schonherr E, Robenek H, Echtermeyer FG, Grassel S, Bruckner P, Schaefer RM, Iozzo RV, Kresse H (2002) Absence of decorin adversely influences tubulointerstitial fibrosis of the obstructed kidney by enhanced apoptosis and increased inflammatory reaction. Am J Pathol 160:1181–1191

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer L, Babelova A, Kiss E, Hausser HJ, Baliova M, Krzyzankova M, Marsche G, Young MF, Mihalik D, Gotte M, Malle E, Schaefer RM, Grone HJ (2005) The matrix component biglycan is proinflammatory and signals through Toll-like receptors 4 and 2 in macrophages. J Clin Invest 115:2223–2233

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer L, Tsalastra W, Babelova A, Baliova M, Minnerup J, Sorokin L, Grone HJ, Reinhardt DP, Pfeilschifter J, Iozzo RV, Schaefer RM (2007) Decorin-mediated regulation of fibrillin-1 in the kidney involves the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor and mammalian target of rapamycin. Am J Pathol 170:301-315

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schonherr E, Sunderkotter C, Iozzo RV, Schaefer L (2005) Decorin, a novel player in the insulin-like growth factor system. J Biol Chem 280:15767-15772

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz NB, Domowicz M (2004) Proteoglycans in brain development. Glycoconj J 21:329–341

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seidler DG, Dreier R (2008) Decorin and its galactosaminoglycan chain: extracellular regulator of cellular function? IUBMB Life 60:729–733

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu-Hirota R, Sasamura H, Kuroda M, Kobayashi E, Saruta T (2004) Functional characterization of podocan, a member of a new class in the small leucine-rich repeat protein family. FEBS Lett 563:69–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sugahara K, Mikami T (2007) Chondroitin/dermatan sulfate in the central nervous system. Curr Opin Struct Biol 17:536–545

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe H, Kimata K, Line S, Strong D, Gao LY, Kozak CA, Yamada Y (1994) Mouse cartilage matrix deficiency (cmd) caused by a 7 bp deletion in the aggrecan gene. Nat Genet 7:154–157

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weigel PH, DeAngelis PL (2007) Hyaluronan synthases: a decade-plus of novel glycosyltransferases. J Biol Chem 282:36777–36781

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weis SM, Zimmerman SD, Shah M, Covell JW, Omens JH, Ross J Jr, Dalton N, Jones Y, Reed CC, Iozzo RV, McCulloch AD (2005) A role for decorin in the remodeling of myocardial infarction. Matrix Biol 24:313-324

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wight TN (2008) Arterial remodeling in vascular disease: a key role for hyaluronan and versican. Front Biosci 13:4933–4937

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu F, Vij N, Roberts L, Lopez-Briones S, Joyce S, Chakravarti S (2007) A novel role of the lumican core protein in bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced innate immune response. J Biol Chem 282:26409–26417

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu YJ, La Pierre DP, Wu J, Yee AJ, Yang BB (2005) The interaction of versican with its binding partners. Cell Res 15:483–494

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi Y, Mann DM, Ruoslahti E (1990) Negative regulation of transforming growth factor-beta by the proteoglycan decorin. Nature 346:281–284

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young MF, Bi Y, Ameye L, Xu T, Wadhwa S, Heegaard A, Kilts T, Chen XD (2006) Small leucine-rich proteoglycans in the aging skeleton. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 6:364–365

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Chad Casey for his support with the graphical design.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmazentrum Frankfurt/ZAFES, Institut für Allgemeine Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Liliana Schaefer

  2. Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, 48149, Münster, Germany

    Roland M. Schaefer

Authors
  1. Liliana Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roland M. Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liliana Schaefer.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 815, project A5; SCHA 1082/2-1; Excellence Cluster ECCPS) and the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schaefer, L., Schaefer, R.M. Proteoglycans: from structural compounds to signaling molecules. Cell Tissue Res 339, 237–246 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-009-0821-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-009-0821-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation