Lecture 24: The Extracellular Matrix Flashcards
General structure
The basal lamina
- 40-120 nm mat of extracellular matrix that underlies all epithelial sheets, also called the basement membrane
- Serve structural and organization roles
4 components of basal lamina
• Composed mainly of fiberous proteins and glycosyaminoglycans
– Type IV collagen
– Laminin
– Nodulin
– Perlecan (Heparan sulfate proteoglycan)
Type IV collagen
- Similar to type IX collagen in that it is much more flexible than fibrillar collagen due to breaks in the helical structure
- Pro-sequences are not removed and these terminal domains help form sheetlike multilayered networks
Functions of the basal lamina
structure, organization, filtration
Comparative size of major ECM components
The structure of laminin
α-chains contain the “RGD” sequence that interacts with integrins
Model for basal lamina organization
Function: filtration
– The basal lamina in kidneys serve as an additional filter preventing the passage a macromolecules from the blood into the urine
Function: boundary formation
– Physically separates epithelial cells from underlying fibroblasts
– Template for tissue reformation following injury
• While the cell surrounded by the basal lamina may die, the basal lamina helps as a placeholder until new cells are regenerated. This the particularly import for muscle cells
Basal lamina at the neuromuscular junction
Integrins
- Integral membrane proteins that link the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix
- Can signal bidirectionally
- Transmembrane heterodimers
- Can form transient structure like focal adhesions or stable, llong lived structures like myotendinous junctions
- Capable of switching between active and inactive conformations
____ link to the actin cytoskeleton though fibronectin in the ECM and talin and vinculin as intracellular anchor protein (Focal adhesions)
integrins
Integrins link to intermediate filament through ____ in the ECM and ____ and ____ as intracellular anchor protein (hemidesmosomes)
laminin in the ECM and plectin and dystonin as intracellular anchor protein
Integrin link to the actin cytoskeleton
Hemidesmosome
Integrin links to intermediate filaments
Integrins are activated through outside in signaling
Ligand binding induces a large conformational change in the extracellular domain, resulting in strong ligand binding. This change also triggers a lateral movement of the TMD apart that generates a strong talin binding site inside the membrane. This is “outside-in” signaling. The reverse “inside-out” signaling also occurs.
Crosstalk from other signaling pathways can activate integrins, example of inside out signalling
Defects in integrins result in:
skin, muscle, blood disorders, or severe complications that lead to death of embryo
Focal Adhesions
• Connect actin filaments to the basal lamina
- Transmembrane adhesion proteins belong to the integrin family
- Regulated assemblies that are altered during cellular movement