PMID: 2493724Jan 1, 1989Paper

Biochemistry of basement membranes

Advances in Nephrology From the Necker Hospital
R Timpl, M Aumailley

Abstract

Basement membranes are thin (20 to 300 nm) extracellular matrices with a ubiquitous occurrence in the body. They consist mainly of collagenous and noncollagenous glycoproteins, are formed early during embryonic development, and in mature tissues they compartmentalize various types of cells and tissue structures. The close apposition to cells is the most remarkable feature of basement membranes, which can either surround cells completely (muscle, fat, nerve axons) or separate them from underlying stroma in a polarized fashion (epithelium, endothelium). These cell contacts are mediated by cellular receptors and specific matrix components and have profound effects on polarization, differentiation, and proliferation of cells and on the control of their migratory behavior. In addition, basement membranes represent barriers regulating filtration of macromolecules and penetration by cells. The supramolecular organization of basement membranes is still insufficiently known. In transmission electron microscopy cross-sections show a two-layered morphology that includes an electron dense (lamina densa) and an electron lucent (lamina rara) zone, the latter being closer to the cells. Other specialized basement membranes such as those in ren...Continue Reading

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