Study Question Sets for Exam 3
Study Question Set 16 -- Extracellular Matrix

1. What is a proteoglycan aggregate?
2. What is a glycosaminoglycan?
3. Indicate the major feature of glycosaminoglycans that contribute to the non-compressibility of the extracellular matrix. Explain how this feature contributes to non-compressibility. Why is hyaluronan the most important GAG in this regard? Be complete.
4. Describe the major structural features of fibronectin, including the types of binding sites of the protein.
5. What is the role fibronectin in cell migration?
6. Indicate the general relationship between the integrin to which fibronectin binds and focal adhesion kinase (FAK).   What is the general significance of this association in terms of "feedback" to the cytoskeleton or other parts of the cell when the integrin binds to fibronectin?
7. In general, how does hyaluronan contribute to cell migration?
8. Describe the major structural features of laminin, including the types of binding sites of the protein.
9. Indicate the major constituents of the basal lamina and describe how they interact to form that structure.
10. Compare the general structures of type IV collagen and other major collagens, such as type I collagen, and indicate the correlation of these structures with function.
11. Fibroblasts don't have a basal lamina. Why?
12. Identify (This list is not exhaustive!)

aggrecan	focal adhesion kinase (FAK)	nidogen
basal lamina	GAG	CAM
basement membrane	hyaluronan	cadherin
fibrillar collagen	integrin	Selectin
fibril-associated collagen	laminin	Syndecan
fibronectin	perlecan

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