Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1583, USA.
Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2010 Aug;21(6):631-7. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2010.06.002. Epub 2010 Jul 3.
Ubiquitously found in the extracellular matrix and attached to the surface of most cells, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) mediate many intercellular interactions. Originally described in 1889 as the primary carbohydrate in cartilage and then in 1916 as a coagulation inhibitor from liver, various GAGs have since been identified as key regulators of normal physiology. GAGs are critical mediators of differentiation, migration, tissue morphogenesis, and organogenesis during embryonic development. While GAGs are simple polysaccharide chains, many GAGs acquire a considerable degree of complexity by extensive modifications involving sulfation and epimerization. Embryos that lack specific GAG modifying enzymes have distinct developmental defects, illuminating the importance of GAG complexity. Revealing how these complex molecules specifically function in the embryo has often required additional approaches, the results of which suggest that GAG modifications might instructively mediate embryonic development.
糖胺聚糖 (GAGs) 普遍存在于细胞外基质中，并附着在大多数细胞的表面，介导许多细胞间相互作用。GAGs 最初于 1889 年被描述为软骨中的主要碳水化合物，然后于 1916 年被描述为肝脏中的凝血抑制剂，此后已被确定为正常生理的关键调节剂。GAGs 是胚胎发育过程中分化、迁移、组织形态发生和器官发生的重要介质。虽然 GAGs 是简单的多糖链，但许多 GAGs 通过涉及硫酸化和差向异构化的广泛修饰获得了相当程度的复杂性。缺乏特定 GAG 修饰酶的胚胎具有明显的发育缺陷，这凸显了 GAG 复杂性的重要性。揭示这些复杂分子在胚胎中如何特异性发挥作用通常需要额外的方法，其结果表明 GAG 修饰可能具有启发性地介导胚胎发育。
