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Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
Published on: May 22, 2016
Structure, regulation and function of avian glypican
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
|May 9, 1998
Summary
Avian glypican, a cell membrane proteoglycan, is crucial for cell migration during embryonic heart development. Its expression is regulated by serum and growth factors, impacting endocardial cushion formation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Glypicans are membrane-bound heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) involved in tissue-specific and developmental regulation.
- Avian glypican's role in cardiac development is not well understood, necessitating investigation into its localization, expression, and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize avian glypican's cellular localization, expression regulation, and function in cardiac development.
- To investigate the role of avian glypican in cell migration during endocardial cushion formation.
Main Methods:
- Raised a polyclonal antibody against avian glypican core protein for detection and immunolocalization.
- Utilized Northern analysis to quantify mRNA levels in quail cardiomyocytes (MEQC) under varying serum conditions.
- Employed antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (OND) to inhibit glypican function and assess its impact on cell migration.
Main Results:
- Avian glypican core protein is localized to cell membranes.
- Serum starvation significantly increased avian glypican mRNA levels in MEQC cells.
- Growth factors like TGF-beta-1 and bFGF partially prevented the up-regulation of glypican transcripts by serum withdrawal.
- Antisense OND targeting avian glypican blocked MEQC cell migration and endothelial cell migration from chick heart explants.
Conclusions:
- Avian glypican is associated with cell membranes and its expression is regulated by serum and specific growth factors.
- Avian glypican plays a significant role in cell migration, particularly during the development of endocardial cushions in the embryonic heart.
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