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Related Concept Videos

The Extracellular Matrix01:42

The Extracellular Matrix

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The Extracellular Matrix01:29

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In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
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Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of proteins and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are essential for the migration and proliferation of cells through the dense matrix network, throughout embryonic development, and throughout morphogenesis. The first MMP activity discovered was a collagenase in a tadpole's tail undergoing metamorphosis. The active collagen deposition and modifications lead to the morphogenesis of tadpoles into the adult...
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The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
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Unlike epithelial tissue, which is composed of cells closely packed with little or no extracellular space in between, connective tissue cells are dispersed in a matrix. This extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of fibrous proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin in a ground substance consisting of interstitial fluid, cell adhesion proteins, and proteoglycans. The proteoglycans form a gel-like material in the spaces between cells and provide hydration, buffering, binding, and force...
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Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

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In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
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A Rapid, Scalable Method for the Isolation, Functional Study, and Analysis of Cell-derived Extracellular Matrix
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Extracellular matrix assembly: a multiscale deconstruction.

Janna K Mouw1, Guanqing Ou2, Valerie M Weaver3

  • 1Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|November 6, 2014
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) has unique biochemical and biophysical properties that control cell behavior. Its molecular composition and assembly create a specific ECM signature, essential for tissue function.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for tissue structure and function.
  • ECM composition and organization vary significantly between different tissue types.
  • Cell behavior is heavily influenced by the surrounding ECM environment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate how the biochemical and biophysical properties of the ECM dictate tissue-specific cell behavior.
  • To understand the relationship between ECM molecular composition, assembly, and resultant tissue structure.
  • To define the concept of a tissue-specific ECM signature.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ECM molecular composition (e.g., collagens, proteoglycans, laminins, fibronectin).
  • Investigation of ECM assembly processes.
  • Correlation of ECM structural and compositional features with cell behavior and tissue function.

Main Results:

  • ECM molecules like collagens, proteoglycans, laminins, and fibronectin are key determinants of tissue characteristics.
  • The specific assembly of these molecules results in unique ECM structures.
  • A distinct ECM signature, defined by composition and topography, reflects and supports tissue-specific functions.

Conclusions:

  • The biochemical and biophysical characteristics of the ECM are fundamental drivers of cell behavior.
  • Tissue-specific ECM signatures are formed through the unique composition and assembly of ECM molecules.
  • These signatures are critical for both reflecting and enabling the functional requirements of diverse tissues.