Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Jun;66(11-12):1890-902.
doi: 10.1007/s00018-009-8632-6.

Fibulins: multiple roles in matrix structures and tissue functions

S de Vega  1 , T Iwamoto, Y Yamada
Affiliations
Review

Fibulins: multiple roles in matrix structures and tissue functions

S de Vega et al. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

The fibulins are a family of secreted glycoproteins associated with basement membranes, elastic fibers, and other matrices. They are expressed in a variety of tissues. Association with these matrix structures is mediated by their ability to interact with many extracellular matrix constituents. The seven members of the family are defined by the presence of two structural modules, a tandem repeat of epidermal growth factor-like modules and a unique C-terminal fibulin-type module. They act not only as intermolecular bridges within the extracellular matrix to form supramolecular structures, but also as mediators for cellular processes and tissue remodeling. These important functions of fibulins in a wide range of biological processes have been shown in in vitro systems, gene knockout mice, and human genetic disorders. In this review, we describe the structure and function of these proteins and discuss the implication of fibulins in development and diseases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources