Basement membrane: Putting up the barriers

Basement membrane: Putting up the barriers

The basement membrane is a highly organized extracellular matrix with adhesive and barrier functions. Assembly of this matrix uses two types of cell surface receptor, integrins and dystroglycan, to coordinate formation of a polygonal network of laminin, a major basement membrane protein.

Basement membrane.

Basement membrane has attracted less attention than the other components of connective tissue. But, like the other extracellular fibres and matrix materials, it can profoundly influence both the structure and function of advanced life forms. Usually taking the shape of thin, structureless cementing material between epithelial and connective tissue, basement membranes are widely distributed thro...

Basement Membrane

We report a case of struma ovarii with hyperthyroidism and elevated serum concentrations of type IV collagen and laminin. Circulating levels of type IV collagen and laminin were measured using specific radioimmunoassays (RIAs) for 7S collagen and the P-1 fragment of laminin, and the basement membrane components in the tumor were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis. Strong immunohistoch...

Breaching and Opening Basement Membrane Barriers: The Anchor Cell Leads the Way

Metastasis is initiated in epithelial-derived tumors when cells at the tumor front breach the epithelial basement membrane (BM). Invasion through BMs is thought to be one of the most rate-limiting steps in cancer progression and thus is a therapeutically attractive target for halting tumor spread. Despite intense interest, it has been challenging to experimentally determine how invasive cells b...

Putting up and Putting Down: Tolerance Reconsidered