The lecticans are a family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans including aggrecan, versican, neurocan, and brevican. The C-terminal globular domains of lecticans are structurally related to selectins, consisting of a C-type lectin domain f lanked by epidermal growth factor and complement regulatory protein domains. The C-type lectin domain of versican has been shown to bind tenascin-R, an extracellular matrix protein specifically expressed in the nervous system, and the interaction was presumed to be mediated by a carbohydrate-protein interaction. In this paper, we show that the C-type lectin domain of brevican, another lectican that is specifically expressed in the nervous system, also binds tenascin-R. Surprisingly, this interaction is mediated by a protein-protein interaction through the fibronectin type III domains 3-5 of tenascin-R, independent of any carbohydrates or sulfated amino acids. The lectin domains of versican and other lecticans also bind the same domain of tenascin-R by protein-protein interactions. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that brevican lectin has at least a 10-fold higher affinity than the other lectican lectins. Tenascin-R is coprecipitated with brevican from adult rat brain extracts, suggesting that tenascin-R and brevican form complexes in vivo. These results demonstrate that the C-type lectin domain can interact with fibronectin type III domains through protein-protein interactions, and suggest that brevican is a physiological tenascin-R ligand in the adult brain.

Brevican is a nervous system-specific chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan that belongs to the aggrecan family and is one of the most abundant chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in adult brain. To gain insights into the role of brevican in brain development, we investigated its spatiotemporal expression, cell surface binding, and effects on neurite outgrowth, using rat cerebellar cortex as a model system. Immunoreactivity of brevican occurs predominantly in the protoplasmic islet in the internal granular layer after the third postnatal week. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that brevican is localized in close association with the surface of astrocytes that form neuroglial sheaths of cerebellar glomeruli where incoming mossy fibers interact with dendrites and axons from resident neurons. In situ hybridization showed that brevican is synthesized by these astrocytes themselves. In primary cultures of cerebellar astrocytes, brevican is detected on the surface of these cells. Binding assays with exogenously added brevican revealed that primary astrocytes and several immortalized neural cell lines have cell surface binding sites for brevican core protein. These cell surface brevican binding sites recognize the C-terminal portion of the core protein and are independent of cell surface hyaluronan. These results indicate that brevican is synthesized by astrocytes and retained on their surface by an interaction involving its core protein. Purified brevican inhibits neurite outgrowth from cerebellar granule neurons in vitro, an activity that requires chondroitin sulfate chains. We suggest that brevican presented on the surface of neuroglial sheaths may be controlling the infiltration of axons and dendrites into maturing glomeruli.

Brevican is a member of the lectican family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans that is predominantly expressed in the central nervous system. The susceptibility of brevican to digestion by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -10, and -13 and membrane type 1 and 3 MMPs) and aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS4) was examined. MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -10, and -13 degraded brevican into a few fragments with similar molecular masses, whereas the degradation products of aggrecanase-1 had apparently different sizes. NH 2 -terminal sequence analyses of the digestion fragments revealed that cleavages of the brevican core protein by these metalloproteinases occurred commonly within the central non-homologous domain. MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -10, and -13 preferentially attacked the Ala

The lecticans are a group of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans characterized by the presence of C-type lectin domains. Despite the suggestion that their lectin domains interact with carbohydrate ligands, the identity of such ligands has not been elucidated. We previously showed that brevican, a nervous system-specific lectican, binds the surface of B28 glial cells (Yamada, H., Fredette, B., Shitara, K., Hagihara, K., Miura, R., Ranscht, B., Stallcup, W. B., and Yamaguchi, Y. (1997) J. Neurosci. 17, 7784 -7795). In this paper, we demonstrate that two classes of sulfated glycolipids, sulfatides and HNK-1-reactive sulfoglucuronylglycolipids (SGGLs), act as cell surface receptors for brevican. The lectin domain of brevican binds sulfatides and SGGLs in a calcium-dependent manner as expected of a C-type lectin domain. Intact, full-length brevican also binds both sulfatides and SGGLs. The lectin domain immobilized as a substrate supports adhesion of cells expressing SGGLs or sulfatides, which was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies against these glycolipids or by treatment of the substrate with SGGLs or sulfatides. Our findings demonstrate that the interaction between the lectin domains of lecticans and sulfated glycolipids comprises a novel cell substrate recognition system, and suggest that lecticans in extracellular matrices serve as substrate for adhesion and migration of cells expressing these glycolipids in vivo.The lecticans are a family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) 1 characterized by the presence of a C-type lectin domain in their core proteins (1, 2). The C-terminal globular domains of lecticans, or "proteoglycan lectin domain" (PLD), consist of one or two epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains, a C-type lectin domain, and a complement regulatory protein (CRP) domain. This arrangement of domains is similar to that of selectins, suggesting that lecticans are also involved in the recognition of carbohydrate ligands.Lecticans are the most abundantly expressed family of proteoglycans in the nervous system. The lectican family includes aggrecan (3), versican (4), neurocan (5), and brevican (6), all of which are expressed in the nervous system at certain stages of development (1, 7). Although aggrecan and versican were initially characterized as connective tissue proteoglycans, their expression in the nervous system has been demonstrated in a number of reports (8 -12). Brevican and neurocan are specifically expressed in the nervous system (6, 13-15). Structural similarities with selectins and the abundant expression in the nervous system suggest that lecticans play major roles in carbohydrate recognition in the nervous system.The identity of the ligand to PLDs has been a focus of our interest. We previously showed that the PLD of versican binds tenascin-R, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein predominantly expressed in the nervous system (16). More recently, we demonstrated that the PLDs of all lecticans bind tenascin-R, and that brevican and tenascin-R indeed form a complex in adult rat brain e...

Selective cleavage of the Glu395-Ser396 bond of brevican, one of the major proteoglycans in adult brain tissues, is thought to be important for glioma cell invasion. Our previous biochemical study demonstrated that ADAMTS-4, a member of the ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) family, has such an activity. In the present study, we examined brevican-degrading activities of ADAMTS-1, -4 and -5 at the cellular level, and their expression and localization in human glioma tissues. In 293T transfectants expressing ADAMTS-4 or ADAMTS-5, brevican was cleaved into two major fragments in an identical pattern, but no such degradation was observed with ADAMTS-1 transfectants. When the expression levels of these ADAMTS species were examined by real-time quantitative PCR, only ADAMTS-5 was found to be overexpressed in glioblastoma tissues compared to control normal brain tissues (P <0.05). In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that ADAMTS-5 is expressed predominantly in glioblastoma cells. Forced expression of ADAMTS-5 in glioma cell lines stimulated cell invasion. These results demonstrate for the first time that ADAMTS-5 is capable of degrading brevican and is overexpressed in glioblastoma cells, and suggest that ADAMTS-5 may play a role in glioma cell invasion through the cleavage of brevican.

Brevican is one of the most abundant chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the adult rat brain. We have recently shown that the C-type lectin domain of brevican binds fibronectin type III domains 3-5 of tenascin-R. Here we report strong evidence for a physiological basis for this interaction. Substantial brevican immunoreactivity was detected in a number of nuclei and in the reticular formations throughout the midbrain and hindbrain, including, but not limited to, the deep cerebellar nuclei, the trapezoid body, the red nucleus, the oculomotor nucleus, the vestibular nucleus, the cochlear nucleus, the gigantocellular reticular nucleus, the motor trigeminal nucleus, and the lateral superior olive. Most of the brevican immunoreactivity exhibited pericellular and reticular staining patterns. In almost all of these sites, brevican immunoreactivity colocalized with that of tenascin-R, which was also substantially codistributed with versican, another member of the lectican family. Detailed analysis revealed that the pericellular staining of brevican resembled that in perineuronal nets in which tenascin-R has been localized. Immunoelectron microscopy identified brevican immunoreactivity in the intercellular spaces surrounding presynaptic boutons and on their surfaces, but not in the synaptic clefts or in their immediate vicinity, a distribution pattern consistent with perineuronal nets. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence that the previously reported interactions between brevican and tenascin-R may play a functional role within the perineuronal nets.

Brevican is one of the most abundant chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the adult rat brain. We have recently shown that the C‐type lectin domain of brevican binds fibronectin type III domains 3–5 of tenascin‐R. Here we report strong evidence for a physiological basis for this interaction. Substantial brevican immunoreactivity was detected in a number of nuclei and in the reticular formations throughout the midbrain and hindbrain, including, but not limited to, the deep cerebellar nuclei, the trapezoid body, the red nucleus, the oculomotor nucleus, the vestibular nucleus, the cochlear nucleus, the gigantocellular reticular nucleus, the motor trigeminal nucleus, and the lateral superior olive. Most of the brevican immunoreactivity exhibited pericellular and reticular staining patterns. In almost all of these sites, brevican immunoreactivity colocalized with that of tenascin‐R, which was also substantially codistributed with versican, another member of the lectican family. Detailed analysis revealed that the pericellular staining of brevican resembled that in perineuronal nets in which tenascin‐R has been localized. Immunoelectron microscopy identified brevican immunoreactivity in the intercellular spaces surrounding presynaptic boutons and on their surfaces, but not in the synaptic clefts or in their immediate vicinity, a distribution pattern consistent with perineuronal nets. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence that the previously reported interactions between brevican and tenascin‐R may play a functional role within the perineuronal nets. J. Comp. Neurol. 410:256–264, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Lecticans, a family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, represent the largest group of proteoglycans expressed in the nervous system. We previously showed that the C-type lectin domains of lecticans bind two classes of sulfated cell surface glycolipids, sulfatides and HNK-1-reactive sulfoglucuronylglycolipids (SGGLs). In this paper, we demonstrate that the interaction between the lectin domain of brevican, a nervous system-speci®c lectican, and cell surface SGGLs acts as a novel cell recognition system that promotes neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth. The Ig chimera of the brevican lectin domain bind to the surface of SGGLexpressing rat hippocampal neurons. The substrate of the brevican chimera promotes adhesion and neurite outgrowth of hippocampal neurons. The authentic, full-length brevican also promotes neuronal cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth. These activities of brevican substrates are neutralized by preincubation of cells with HNK-1 monoclonal antibodies and by pretreatment of the brevican substrates with puri®ed SGGLs. Brevican and HNK-1 carbohydrates are coexpressed in speci®c layers of the developing hippocampus where axons from entorhinal neurons elongate. Our observations suggest that cell surface SGGLs and extracellular lecticans comprise a novel cell-substrate recognition system operating in the developing nervous system.