Extracellular Matrix Assembly and Structure

Book excerpt: 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