Heparan sulfate proteoglycan as a plasma membrane carrier

Trends Biochem Sci. 2003 Mar;28(3):145-51. doi: 10.1016/S0968-0004(03)00031-8.

Abstract

The plasma membrane defines the border of living cells and provides a barrier to extracellular components. Advances in molecular biology have resulted in the development of novel therapeutic strategies (e.g. gene therapy and cellular protein delivery) which rely on the entry of charged macromolecules into the intracellular compartment. Recent reports demonstrate an intriguing role for heparan sulfate proteoglycans in cellular internalization of viruses, basic peptides and polycation-nucleic-acid complexes and the possibility that they have important implications for gene transfer and protein delivery to mammalian cells. This review focuses on heparan sulfate proteoglycan as a plasma membrane carrier.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Endocytosis / physiology*
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / chemistry
  • Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acids / metabolism
  • Protein Binding

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans
  • Nucleic Acids