ECM Flashcards
Connective tissue has a high ratio of ___ to cells in connective tissue.
ECM
What function does the ECM play in connective tissue?
Structural - provides architectural framework
What determines the physical properties of the connective tissue?
Composition of the matrix
The ECM provides support for what?
Cells and cell layers
The ECM acts as a barrier to what?
Cells
The ECM acts as a passive-selective ___-___ between tissue compartments.
Molecular sieve
What acts as a solid phase regulator of cell attachment, growth and differentiation?
ECM
ECM modulates what process?
Mineralization process
What are the three structural components of ECM?
Fibers
Amorphous ground substance
Basement membrane
What is a filament?
A threadlike structure (2-20 nm dia.)
Typically a single molecule or linear chain of molecules
Microfibrils are an aggregate of what?
Filaments
What is the typical diameter of a microfibril?
45-100 nm diameter
What is an aggregate of microfibrils called?
A fibril
What is the diameter of a fibril?
200-500 nm diameter
What is an aggregate of fibrils called?
A fiber
How big are fibers?
1-20 micrometers in diameter
What are the two types of fibers in the ECM?
Collagen
Elastic
How big are bundles?
20-100 micrometers in diameter
What makes up ground substance?
A complex mixture of glycoproteins, gags and proteoglycans
Ground substance helps bind cells to what of connective tissues?
Fibers
Ground substance fills the space between what?
Cells and fibers in connective tissue
What is a glycoprotein?
A protein with one or more attached sugars
A GAG is a family of what?
Heteropolysaccharides
GAGs are very ___ and very ___ ___.
Hydrated
Negatively charged
What is a proteoglycan composed of?
Protein core with many GAG chains attached
What glycoproteins are found in interstitial connective tissue?
Fibroconectins Elastin Fibrilins Tenascins Thrombospondins Microfibril-associated matrilins
What glycoproteins are found in basement membranes?
Laminins
Nidogen/entactin
Fibulin
What are the small leucine-rich proteoglycans?
Decorin Biglycan Fibromodulin Lumican Epiphycan
What are the modular proteoglycans involved in nonhyaluronan binding?
Prelecan
Agrin
Testican
What modular proteoglycans are involved in hyaluronan and lectin binding?
Aggrecan
Versican
Neurocan
Brevican
The large majority of the extracellular matrix is synthesized and secreted locally by what?
Neighboring cells
What makes most connective tissue?
Fibroblasts
What specialized CT cell makes dentin?
Odontoblasts
What specialized CT cells makes enamel?
Ameloblasts
Enamel is considered to be what?
Epithelial
What is the most abundant protein in the body?
Collagen
Collagen is about ___% of the protein in the body by weight
30%
The cornea is about ___% protein.
64%
What type of helix is collagen?
Left-handed
It is a specialized “collagen helix”, not a true alpha helix
What ring structure adds rigidity to collagen?
Proline
In mature form, collagen doesn’t have what two amino acids?
Cystein
Tryptophan
What is tropocollagen
3 helical strands of collagen wrapping around each other
How do tropocollagen fibrils arrange themselves?
In a staggered array of parallel bundles
What causes striations in collagen?
Alignment of every 4th molecule
What forms crosslinks in collagen?
Lysinonoreleucine
What enzyme does the production of lysinonorleucine require?
Lysyl amino oxidase
Lysyl amino oxidase requires which cofactor?
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
What does each collagen molecule consist of?
Three alpha-chains