Home > Browse Issues > Vol.41 No.3
Progress of Extracellular Matrix
Wu Yuexin1,2, Ge Gaoxiang1,2*
1State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; 2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Abstract: The matrisome is a complex and heterogeneous collection of extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM-associated proteins that play important roles in tissue development and homeostasis. Collagens， proteoglycans and glycoproteins， the core components of the matrisome， form complex networks outside of the cells subjected to posttranslational modifications. ECM not only serves as a scaffold for the cells， but also transduces signals to the cells， and modulates the signaling of ECM-bound growth factors and cytokines. ECM networks regulate cell adhesion， cell migration， cell fate determination， and are crucial in the regulation of development and tissue homeostasis. Disordered ECM structure and function are related to many diseases including cancer， fibrosis and connective disorders. This article will briefly introduce the structure and functions of the extracellular matrix， its communication with the cytoskeleton， and its functions in the development and tissue homeostasis regulation.
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