ABSTRACT
Decorin is a prototype member of a group of structurally related molecules referred to as small leucine-rich proteins (SLRPs), most but not all of which are proteoglycans (PGs) (1-3). SLRPs are characterized primarily by a central region comprising a variable number of leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). At least 12 members of the family are known, with biglycan and the recently cloned asporin (4) most closely related to decorin.
