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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

In Vitro Investigation of the Effects of the Hyaluronan-Rich Extracellular Matrix on Neural Crest Cell Migration
Published on: February 10, 2023
The crosstalk of hyaluronan-based extracellular matrix and synapses
Renato Frischknecht1, Constanze I Seidenbecher
1Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany. rfrischk@ifn-magdeburg.de
Abstract:
Many neurons and their synapses are enwrapped in a brain-specific form of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the so-called perineuronal net (PNN). It forms late in the postnatal development around the time when synaptic contacts are stabilized. It is made of glycoproteins and proteoglycans of glial as well as neuronal origin. The major organizing polysaccharide of brain extracellular space is the polymeric carbohydrate hyaluronic acid (HA). It forms the backbone of a meshwork consisting of CNS proteoglycans such as the lectican family of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPG). This family comprises four abundant components of brain ECM: aggrecan and versican as broadly expressed CSPGs and neurocan and brevican as nervous-system-specific family members. In this review, we intend to focus on the specific role of the HA-based ECM in synapse development and function.
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