New concepts in basement membrane biology. (21st September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Halfter, Willi; Oertle, Philipp; Monnier, Christophe A.; Camenzind, Leon; Reyes‐Lua, Magaly; Hu, Huaiyu; Candiello, Joseph; Labilloy, Anatalia; Balasubramani, Manimalha; Henrich, Paul Bernhard; Plodinec, Marija
• Is Part Of: FEBS journal. Volume 282:Number 23(2015)
• Page Start: 4466
• Page End: 4479
• Publication Date: 2015-09-21
• Subjects: basal lamina -- basement membrane -- biomechanical properties -- collagen IV -- laminin -- membrane asymmetry -- nidogen -- perlecan; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 572
• DOI: 10.1111/febs.13495
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-464X

Abstract

Abstract : Basement membranes (BMs) are thin sheets of extracellular matrix that outline epithelia, muscle fibers, blood vessels and peripheral nerves. The current view of BM structure and functions is based mainly on transmission electron microscopy imaging, in vitro protein binding assays, and phenotype analysis of human patients, mutant mice and invertebrata. Recently, MS‐based protein analysis, biomechanical testing and cell adhesion assays with in vivo derived BMs have led to new and unexpected insights. Proteomic analysis combined with ultrastructural studies showed that many BMs undergo compositional and structural changes with advancing age. Atomic force microscopy measurements in combination with phenotype analysis have revealed an altered mechanical stiffness that correlates with specific BM pathologies in mutant mice and human patients. Atomic force microscopy‐based height measurements strongly suggest that BMs are more than two‐fold thicker than previously estimated, providing greater freedom for modelling the large protein polymers within BMs. In addition, data gathered using BMs extracted from mutant mice showed that laminin has a crucial role in BM stability. Finally, recent evidence demonstrate that BMs are bi‐functionally organized, leading to the proposition that BM‐sidedness contributes to the alternating epithelial and stromal tissue arrangements that are found in all metazoan species. We propose that BMs are ancient structures with tissue‐organizing functions and were essential in the evolution of metazoan species. Abstract : Basement membranes (BMs) are extracellular matrix sheets next to epithelia, muscle fibers and blood vessels. This review discusses biomechanical, proteome, and cell adhesion data from mostly human BMs. A new concept of BM biology is that many BMs are bifunctionally organized with an epithelial side involved in cell adhesion and a stromal side that anchors the BMs to connective tissues.