Description
Product Characteristics: Valuable marker for several incompletely differentiated precursor cells.
Function: Proteoglycan playing a role in cell proliferation and migration which stimulates endothelial cells motility during microvascular morphogenesis. May also inhibit neurite outgrowth and growth cone collapse during axon regeneration. Cell surface receptor for collagen alpha 2(VI) which may confer cells ability to migrate on that substrate. Binds through its extracellular N-terminus growth factors, extracellular matrix proteases modulating their activity. May regulate MPP16-dependent degradation and invasion of type I collagen participating in melanoma cells invasion properties. May modulate the plasminogen system by enhancing plasminogen activation and inhibiting angiostatin. Functions also as a signal transducing protein by binding through its cytoplasmic C-terminus scaffolding and signaling proteins. May promote retraction fiber formation and cell polarization through Rho GTPase activation. May stimulate alpha-4, beta-1 integrin-mediated adhesion and spreading by recruiting and activating a signaling cascade through CDC42, ACK1 and BCAR1. May activate FAK and ERK1/ERK2 signaling cascades.
Subcellular location: Apical cell membrane, Single-pass type I membrane protein, Extracellular side. Cell projection › lamellipodium membrane, Single-pass type I membrane protein, Extracellular side.
Tissue specificity: Expressed in microcascular pericytes and not endothelial cells. Also known as: MEL CSPG, MELCSPG, Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4, Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan NG2, CSPG4, MCSP, MCSPG, Melanoma associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, Melanoma chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, MSK16.
Target Information: A human melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan plays a role in stabilizing cell-substratum interactions during early events of melanoma cell spreading on endothelial basement membranes. CSPG4 represents an integral membrane chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan expressed by human malignant melanoma cells. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]