The complex and critical process of extracellular matrix (ECM) assembly is described in this book. Assembly may involve molecules interacting with molecules of the same matrix class, such as in collagen, or interactions between different ECM molecules, such as in basement membranes. The text shows how this is driven by structural information within the matrix monomer. This information will be of interest to cell, developmental, and molecular biologists, biochemists, biophysicists, and biomedical researchers involved in macromolecular assembly, biological macromolecules, and extracellular matrix. Addresses assembly of most of the known classes of extracellular matrix macromolecules Discusses higher order structures produced by ECM Gives important concepts in ECM and cell-matrix interactions, Protein structure and protein-protein interactions, Development and tissue remodeling

Knowledge of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential to understand cellular differentiation, tissue development, and tissue remodeling. This volume of the series “Biology of Extracellular Matrix” provides a timely overview of the structure, regulation, and function of the major macromolecules that make up the extracellular matrix. It covers topics such as collagen types and assembly of collagen-containing suprastructures, basement membrane, fibronectin and other cell-adhesive glycoproteins, proteoglycans, microfibrils, elastin, fibulins and matricellular proteins, such as thrombospondin. It also explores the concept that ECM components together with their cell surface receptors can be viewed as intricate nano-devices that allow cells to physically organize their 3-D-environment. Further, the role of the ECM in human disease and pathogenesis is discussed as well as the use of model organisms in elucidating ECM function.

The Second Edition of Connective Tissue and Its Heritable Disorders: Molecular, Genetic, and Medical Aspects is the definitive reference text in its field, with over 40% more pages on the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of disease than its predecessor. Collecting new research on disorders detailed in the first edition as well as on those previously excluded, editors Peter Royce and Beat Steinmann provide the most up-to-date clinical and scientific information for medical specialists treating affected individuals. Features of this revised and updated volume include detailed reviews of the clinical diagnosis, mode of inheritance, risk of recurrence, and prenatal diagnosis of each inherited connective tissue disorder; a thorough description of the morphology of connective tissues; a completely updated and revised section on the biology of the extracellular matrix; and the addition of syndromes such as craniosyntosis, and disorders of sulfate metabolism.

Cells in the developing embryo depend on signals from the extracellular environment to help guide their differentiation. An important mediator in this process is the extracellular matrix – secreted macromolecules that interact to form large protein networks outside the cell. During development, the extracellular matrix serves to separate adjacent cell groups, participates in establishing morphogenic gradients, and, through its ability to interact directly will cell-surface receptors, provides developmental clocks and positional information. This volume discusses how the extracellular matrix influences fundamental developmental processes and how model systems can be used to elucidate ECM function. The topics addressed range from how ECM influences early development as well as repair processes in the adult that recapitulate developmental pathways.

At a recent meeting to discuss the domains of cell biology, I put forth a case for the extracellular matrix, even though my argument ran the risk of falling on deaf ears. After all, the matrix is EXTRAcellular, outside the cells. In this book, however, the authors make a compelling case for the relevance of the matrix to cellular concerns. Not only are numerous cell types, including many epithelia, quite caught up in the business of manufacturing matrix components, but also most of them contain matrix molecules in exoskeletons that are attached to the plasmalemma and that organize or otherwise influence the affairs of the cyto plasm. The idea of this book is to present the extracellular matrix to cell biolo gists of all levels. The authors are active and busy investigators, recognized experts in their fields, but all were enthusiastic about the prospect of writing for this audience. The chapters are not "review" articles in the usual sense, nor are they rehashes of symposium talks; they were written specifically for this book and they present the "state of the art" in engaging style, with ample references to more technical or historical reviews. The book is rich in electron micro graphs and diagrams and for many of the latter, as well as for the design of the cover, we are indebted to Sylvia J. Keene, medical illustrator for the Department of Anatomy at Harvard Medical Scrool. We also owe special thanks to Susan G.