|
Basement Membrane
The basement membrane, also known as base membrane, is a thin, pliable sheet-like type of extracellular matrix that provides cell and tissue support and acts as a platform for complex signalling. The basement membrane sits between epithelial tissues including mesothelium and endothelium, and the underlying connective tissue. Structure As seen with the electron microscope, the basement membrane is composed of two layers, the basal lamina and the reticular lamina. The underlying connective tissue attaches to the basal lamina with collagen VII anchoring fibrils and fibrillin microfibrils. The basal lamina layer can further be subdivided into two layers based on their visual appearance in electron microscopy. The lighter-colored layer closer to the epithelium is called the lamina lucida, while the denser-colored layer closer to the connective tissue is called the lamina densa. The electron-dense lamina densa layer is about 30–70 nanometers thick and consists of an und ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epithelium
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of many internal organs, the corresponding inner surfaces of body cavities, and the inner surfaces of blood vessels. Epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. These tissues also lack blood or lymph supply. The tissue is supplied by nerves. There are three principal shapes of epithelial cell: squamous (scaly), columnar, and cuboidal. These can be arranged in a singular layer of cells as simple epithelium, either simple squamous, simple columnar, or simple cuboidal, or in layers of two or more cells deep as stratified (layered), or ''compound'', either squamous, columnar or cuboidal. In some tissues, a layer of columnar cells may appear to be stratified d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamina Lucida
The lamina lucida is a component of the basement membrane which is found between the epithelium and underlying connective tissue (e.g., epidermis and dermis of the skin). It is a roughly 40 nanometre wide electron-lucent zone between the plasma membrane of the basal cells and the (electron-dense) lamina densa of the basement membrane.James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology'' (10th ed.). Saunders. Page 5. . Similarly, electron-lucent and electron-dense zones can be seen between enamel of teeth and the junctional epithelium. The electron-lucent zone is adjacent to the cells of the junctional epithelium and might be considered a continuation of the lamina lucida as both are seen to harbour hemidesmosomes. However, unlike the lamina densa, the electron-dense zone adjacent to enamel show no signs of hemidesmosomes. Some theorize that the lamina lucida is an artifact created when preparing the tissue, and that the la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basal Lamina
The basal lamina is a layer of extracellular matrix secreted by the epithelial cells, on which the epithelium sits. It is often incorrectly referred to as the basement membrane, though it does constitute a portion of the basement membrane. The basal lamina is visible only with the electron microscope, where it appears as an electron-dense layer that is 20–100 nm thick (with some exceptions that are thicker, such as basal lamina in lung Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli and renal glomeruli). Structure The layers of the basal lamina ("BL") and those of the basement membrane ("BM") are described below: Anchoring fibrils composed of Collagen, type lightsaber VII, alpha 1, type VII collagen extend from the basal lamina into the underlying reticular lamina and loop around collagen bundles. Although found beneath all basal laminae, they are especially numerous in stratified squamous cells of the skin. These layers should not be confused with the lamina propria, which is found outsi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemidesmosome
Hemidesmosomes are very small stud-like structures found in keratinocytes of the epidermis of skin that attach to the extracellular matrix. They are similar in form to desmosomes when visualized by electron microscopy; however, desmosomes attach to adjacent cells. Hemidesmosomes are also comparable to focal adhesions, as they both attach cells to the extracellular matrix. Instead of desmogleins and desmocollins in the extracellular space, hemidesmosomes utilize integrins. Hemidesmosomes are found in epithelial cells connecting the basal epithelial cells to the lamina lucida, which is part of the basal lamina. Hemidesmosomes are also involved in signaling pathways, such as keratinocyte migration or carcinoma cell intrusion. Structure Hemidesmosomes can be categorized into two types based on their protein constituents. Type 1 hemidesmosomes are found in stratified and pseudo-stratified epithelium. Type 1 hemidesmosomes have five main elements: integrin α6 β4, plectin in i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dystroglycan
Dystroglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''DAG1'' gene. Dystroglycan is one of the dystrophin-associated glycoproteins, which is encoded by a 5.5 kb transcript in ''Homo sapiens'' on chromosome 3. There are two exons that are separated by a large intron. The spliced exons code for a protein product that is finally cleaved into two non-covalently associated subunits, lpha(N-terminal) and eta(C-terminal). Function In skeletal muscle the dystroglycan complex works as a transmembrane linkage between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton. lphadystroglycan is extracellular and binds to merosin lpha2 laminin in the basement membrane, while etadystroglycan is a transmembrane protein and binds to dystrophin, which is a large rod-like cytoskeletal protein, absent in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. Dystrophin binds to intracellular actin cables. In this way, the dystroglycan complex, which links the extracellular matrix to the intracellular actin c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Entactin
Nidogen-1 (NID-1), formerly known as entactin, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NID1'' gene. Both nidogen-1 and nidogen-2 are essential components of the basement membrane alongside other components such as type IV collagen, proteoglycans (heparan sulfate and glycosaminoglycans), laminin and fibronectin. Function Nidogen-1 is a member of the nidogen family of basement membrane glycoproteins. The protein interacts with several other components of basement membranes. Structurally it (along with perlecan) connects the networks formed by collagens and laminins to each other. It may also play a role in cell interactions with the extracellular matrix In biology, the extracellular matrix (ECM), also called intercellular matrix (ICM), is a network consisting of extracellular macromolecules and minerals, such as collagen, enzymes, glycoproteins and hydroxyapatite that provide structural and bio .... Clinical significance Mutations in ''NID1'' cause autosomal do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Integrin
Integrins are transmembrane receptors that help cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion. Upon ligand binding, integrins activate signal transduction pathways that mediate cellular signals such as regulation of the cell cycle, organization of the intracellular cytoskeleton, and movement of new receptors to the cell membrane. The presence of integrins allows rapid and flexible responses to events at the cell surface (''e.g''. signal platelets to initiate an interaction with coagulation factors). Several types of integrins exist, and one cell generally has multiple different types on its surface. Integrins are found in all animals while integrin-like receptors are found in plant cells. Integrins work alongside other proteins such as cadherins, the immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules, selectins and syndecans, to mediate cell–cell and cell–matrix interaction. Ligands for integrins include fibronectin, vitronectin, collagen and laminin. Stru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laminin
Laminins are a family of glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix of all animals. They are major constituents of the basement membrane, namely the basal lamina (the protein network foundation for most cells and organs). Laminins are vital to biological activity, influencing cell differentiation, migration, and adhesion. Laminins are heterotrimeric proteins with a high molecular mass (~400 to ~900 kDa) and possess three different chains (α, β, and γ) encoded by five, four, and three paralogous genes in humans, respectively. The laminin molecules are named according to their chain composition, e.g. laminin-511 contains α5, β1, and γ1 chains. Fourteen other chain combinations have been identified ''in vivo''. The trimeric proteins intersect, composing a cruciform structure that is able to bind to other molecules of the extracellular matrix and cell membrane. The three short arms have an affinity for binding to other laminin molecules, conducing sheet formation. The long ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perlecan
Perlecan (PLC) also known as basement membrane-specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein (HSPG) or heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''HSPG2'' gene. The HSPG2 gene codes for a 4,391 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 468,829. It is one of the largest known proteins. The name perlecan comes from its appearance as a "string of pearls" in rotary shadowed images. Perlecan was originally isolated from a tumor cell line and shown to be present in all native basement membranes. Perlecan is a large multidomain (five domains, labeled I-V) proteoglycan that binds to and cross-links many extracellular matrix (ECM) components and cell-surface molecules. Perlecan is synthesized by both vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells and deposited in the extracellular matrix of parahoxozoans. Perlecan is highly conserved across species and the available data indicate that it has evolved from ancient ancestors by gene du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Micrometre
The micrometre (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI) equalling (SI standard prefix "micro-" = ); that is, one millionth of a metre (or one thousandth of a millimetre, , or about ). The nearest smaller common SI Unit, SI unit is the nanometre, equivalent to one thousandth of a micrometre, one millionth of a millimetre or one billionth of a metre (). The micrometre is a common unit of measurement for wavelengths of infrared radiation as well as sizes of biological cell (biology), cells and bacteria, and for grading wool by the diameter of the fibres. The width of a single human hair ranges from approximately 20 to . Examples Between 1 μm and 10 μm: * 1–10 μm – length of a typical bacterium * 3–8 μm – width of str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type IV Collagen
Collagen IV (ColIV or Col4) is a type of collagen found primarily in the basal lamina. The collagen IV C4 domain at the C-terminus is not removed in post-translational processing, and the fibers link head-to-head, rather than in parallel. Also, collagen IV lacks the regular glycine in every third residue necessary for the tight, collagen helix. This makes the overall arrangement more sloppy with kinks. These two features cause the collagen to form in a sheet, the form of the basal lamina. Collagen IV is the more common usage, as opposed to the older terminology of "type-IV collagen". Collagen IV exists in all metazoan phyla, to whom they served as an evolutionary stepping stone to multicellularity. There are six human genes associated with it: * '' COL4A1'', '' COL4A2'', '' COL4A3'', '' COL4A4'', '' COL4A5'', '' COL4A6'' Function Type IV collagen is a type of collagen that is responsible for providing a scaffold for stability and assembly. It is also predominantly found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
