Abstract

Heparan sulphate proteoglycans reside on the plasma membrane of all animal cells studied so far and are a major component of extracellular matrices. Studies of model organisms and human diseases have demonstrated their importance in development and normal physiology. A recurrent theme is the electrostatic interaction of the heparan sulphate chains with protein ligands, which affects metabolism, transport, information transfer, support and regulation in all organ systems. The importance of these interactions is exemplified by phenotypic studies of mice and humans bearing mutations in the core proteins or the biosynthetic enzymes responsible for assembling the heparan sulphate chains.

1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.

Correspondence to: Joseph R. Bishop¹ (Email: jesko@ucsd.edu).
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