Extracellular matrix components associated with remodeling processes in brain

Abstract

In the central nervous system, various extracellular matrix components have been identified which are strongly expressed during development and in most areas of the brain down-regulated during maturation. Examples are tenascin-C, neurocan and hyaluronan. While tenascin-C is well known to be associated with morphogenic events and the active contribution of hyaluronan to various physiological processes is increasingly acknowledged, neurocan belongs to a class of molecules thought to be generally more associated with barrier functions: chondroitin sulfate CMLS Cellular and Molecular Life Sciencesproteoglycans. Consideration of these and related molecules and their processing in the context of the general organization of the brain extracellular matrix, their changes during brain maturation and their implication in different types of remodeling processes in adult brain, like normal and pathological synaptic plasticity, inflammatory and dementia-associated diseases and gliomas, may indicate that components of the extracellular matrix could provide valuable early information about the pathological state of the brain.

Extracellular matrix of the central nervous system: from neglect to challenge

“…Then a predominance of hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG) (Margolis et al 1975) and the paucity of otherwise frequent ECM molecules, like Wbronectin or collagens, have been described (Carbonetto 1984;Rutka et al 1988;Sanes 1989). Today we know that this distinctive ECM is mainly composed of proteoglycans of the lectican/ hyalectan-family and their binding partners, hyaluronan, link proteins and tenascins Novak and Kaye 2000;Rauch 1997Rauch , 2004Ruoslahti 1996;Yamaguchi 2000). In the following, we will focus on the structure, expression and putative functions of this major matrix components that form this extraordinary extracellular meshwork.…”

Versican V2 Assembles the Extracellular Matrix Surrounding the Nodes of Ranvier in the CNS

“…Neuronal and glial cells of the adult CNS are surrounded by specialized extracellular matrices (ECMs) that assemble during maturation and replace the loose meshwork of the late embryonic and early postnatal phase [for review, see Bandtlow and Zimmermann (2000), Yamaguchi (2000), Rauch (2004), and Zimmermann and Dours- Zimmermann (2008)]. Both juvenile and mature forms of the CNS matrix are composed of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), tenascins, link proteins, and hyaluronan.…”

The Role of the Brain Extracellular Matrix in Synaptic Plasticity After Brain Injuries (Review)

“…Presently, multiple interactions between ECM molecules and a number of receptors on the cell surface, including those which are linked to cytoskeleton and tyrosine kinase were identified [9,10]. These interactions underlay such important ECM functions as involvement in proliferation, migration, morphological and biochemical differentiation, synaptogenesis and synaptic activity [6,7,11]. ECM molecules interact with ion channels and receptors to neuromodulators, that allows ECM regulate synaptic transmission [12].…”

“…There are three main families of core proteins: lecticans (aggrecan, brevican, neurocan and versican), phosphacan, neuro-glial antigen 2 (NG2) [11,36,43,44]. Lecticans have tree domain structure and their the N-terminal connected to hyaluronic acid via linking proteins (protein BRAL1 or HALPN2), and the C-terminal is linked to matrix proteins, such as tenascin-R or receptors on the cell surface.…”

“…Lecticans have tree domain structure and their the N-terminal connected to hyaluronic acid via linking proteins (protein BRAL1 or HALPN2), and the C-terminal is linked to matrix proteins, such as tenascin-R or receptors on the cell surface. Lecticans vary in molecular weight (from 95 to 400 kDa) and in the number of related glycosaminoglycan chains (from 1 to 100), any further sulphitation enhances the complexity of their structure [11,45]. NG2 represented only in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.…”