Heterogeneous distribution of antithrombin-binding sites in rat brain heparan sulphate proteoglycans

On the regional distribution of heparan sulfate proteoglycan immunoreactivity in the rat brain

By means of two monoclonal antibodies specific for heparan sulfate (HS)-related epitopes, one (10E4) against native HS chains and one (3G10) against desaturated uronates, a highly regional and differential distribution of these two epitopes have been observed in the adult rat brain. The 10E4 epitope immunoreactivity (IR) is mainly found in the substantia nigra, the red nucleus and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus, while the 3G10 epitope IR is mainly found in the CA2 area of the hippocampal formation and the pyramdial cells in the layer V of the frontoparietal cortex. The codistribution of both types of IRs with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) in neurons and astroglia supports the notion that heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in the extracellular matrix may serve as a site for storage of bFGF and assist in the bFGF-induced activation of the high-affinity FGF receptors linked to astroglia and neurons in these discrete areas.

Nervous tissue proteoglycans

The structure, biosynthesis, localization, and possible functional roles of nervous tissue glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans were last reviewed several years ago. Since that time, there has been an exponential increase in publications on the neurobiology of proteoglycans. This review will therefore focus on reports which have appeared in the period after 1988, and especially on those concerning the properties of individual characterized nervous tissue proteoglycans. Related areas such as the regulation of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis and the roles of cell surface proteoglycans in adhesion and growth control are covered in other contributions to this special topic issue.

Nervous tissue proteoglycans

The structure, biosynthesis, localization, and possible functional roles of nervous tissue glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans were last reviewed several years ago. Since that time, there has been an exponential increase in publications on the neurobiology of proteoglycans. This review will therefore focus on reports which have appeared in the period after 1988, and especially on those concerning the properties of individual characterized nervous tissue proteoglycans. Related areas such as the regulation of glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis and the roles of cell surface proteoglycans in adhesion and growth control are covered in other contributions to this special topic issue.