 Laminin (source code)

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= Laminin

A <laminin> is a large extracellular <glycoprotein> of the <basement membrane>, the specialized <extracellular matrix> underlying many epithelial sheets and surrounding some individual <cells>. A <laminin> molecule contains three different <polypeptide> chains, conventionally called alpha, beta and gamma, assembled into an extended cross-like or related shape. Different chain combinations produce distinct <laminins>.<Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 19, Basal Laminae Are Composed Mainly of Type IV Collagen, Laminin, Nidogen, and a Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan]{ref}

<Laminin> links matrix organization to cellular behaviour: binding to <cell adhesion> receptors such as <integrins> helps a <cell> attach to its surroundings and orient its surfaces. Its location was established experimentally, not inferred from the name. In 1979, <R. Timpl> and colleagues isolated <laminin> from a mouse tumour producing abundant <basement membrane> material, then used <antibodies> to localize the isolated component in <basement membranes>.<Laminin--a glycoprotein from basement membranes by R. Timpl and others>[Abstract and pp. 9933–9937]{ref}

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