Skip to main content
Log in

Lecticans: organizers of the brain extracellular matrix

  • Published:
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences CMLS Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Lecticans are a family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, encompassing aggrecan, versican, neurocan and brevican. These proteoglycans are characterized by the presence of ahyaluronan-binding domain and a C-type lectin domain in their core proteins. Through these domains, lecticans interact with carbohydrate and protein ligands in the extracellular matrix and act as linkers of these extracellular matrix molecules. In adult brain, lecticans are thought to interact with hyaluronan and tenascin-R to form a ternary complex. We propose that the hyaluronan-lectican-tenascin-R complex constitutes the core assembly of the adult brain extracellular matrix, which is found mainly in pericellular spaces of neurons as ‘perineuronal nets’.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received 27 September 1999; accepted 26 October 1999

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamaguchi, Y. Lecticans: organizers of the brain extracellular matrix . CMLS, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 57, 276–289 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00000690

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00000690

Navigation