| First Author | Li YN | Year | 2012 |
| Journal | Matrix Biol | Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 120-34 |
| PubMed ID | 22222602 | Mgi Jnum | J:184380 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5320825 | Doi | 10.1016/j.matbio.2011.12.002 |
| Citation | Li YN, et al. (2012) The gamma3 chain of laminin is widely but differentially expressed in murine basement membranes: expression and functional studies. Matrix Biol 31(2):120-34 |
| abstractText | Laminins are heterotrimeric extracellular glycoproteins found in, but not confined to, basement membranes (BMs). They are important components in formation of the molecular networks of BMs as well as in cell polarity, cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis. Each laminin is composed by an alpha, a beta and a gamma chain. Previous studies have shown that the gamma3 chain is partnered with either the beta1 chain (in placenta) or beta2 chain (in the CNS) (Libby et al., 2000). Several studies, including our own, suggested that the gamma3 chain is expressed in both apical and basal compartments (Koch et al., 1999; Gersdorff et al., 2005; Yan and Cheng, 2006). This study investigates the expression pattern of the gamma3 chain in mouse. We developed three new gamma3-reactive antibodies, and we show that the gamma3 chain is present in BMs. The distribution pattern is considerably more restricted than that of the gamma1 chain and within any tissue there is differential deposition into BM compartments. This is particularly true in the retina and brain, where gamma3 is uniquely expressed in a subset of the vascular basement membranes and the pial surface. We used conventional genetic ablation techniques to remove the gamma3 chain in mice; unlike other laminin null mice (alpha5, beta2, gamma1 nulls), these mice live a normal lifespan and have only minor abnormalities, the most striking of which are ectopic granule cells in the cerebellum and an apparent increase in capillary branching in the outer retina. These data support the suggestion that the gamma3 chain is deposited in BMs and contributes some unique properties to their function, particularly in the nervous system. |
