ABSTRACT
Essentially all m atrix p ro te ins have been show n to have som e role in affecting cell pheno type an d behavior. T h e ability o f th e E C M to m ediate changes in cell behavior is m ost p ro m in en t, however, w hen cells undergo alterations in their env ironm ent th a t exposes th em to a m olecularly d istinct neo-m atrix . F u rtherm ore, th e specificity o f a cells response to new ly exposed E C M is tightly coord inated by b in d in g and signaling th rough cell surface receptors, such as integrins. O nce activated, these heterodim eric integral m em brane proteins affect diverse cellular processes, such as m igration an d proliferation , w hich are con tro lled by in term ed iate signaling pathw ays includ ing p ro te in kinase C , m itogen activated p ro te in kinase, an d focal adhesion k inase.1 T h u s, a dynam ic in terp lay betw een cell recep tor expression an d exposure to diverse E C M com p o n en ts is established, resulting in gene activation and m o d ifica tion o f cellular func tion du rin g m orphogen ic events.
