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WormBook
2005[Sep]; ? (?): 1-15
PMID18050423
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Basement membranes are thin, specialized extracellular matrices surrounding most
tissues in all metazoans. The compositions and functions of basement membranes
have generally been well conserved throughout the subkingdom. Genetic analyses of
basement membrane components in C. elegans have provided insights into their
assembly and functions during development. Immuno- or GFP-tagged localization
studies have shown that basement membranes on different tissues, or even
sub-regions of tissues, contain different sets of proteins or alternatively
spliced isoforms of them. Several components, including laminin, perlecan, type
IV collagen and possibly osteonectin/SPARC, are essential for completion of
embryogenesis, being necessary for tissue organization and structural integrity.
In contrast, type XVIII collagen and nidogen are not required for viability but
primarily influence organization of the nervous system. All of these proteins,
with the exception of nidogen and the addition of fibulin, have roles of varying
degree in morphogenesis of the gonad. A major family of cellular receptors for
basement membrane proteins, the integrins, have also been characterized in C.
elegans. As one might expect, integrins have been shown to function in many of
the same processes as their potential ligands, the basement membrane components.
While much remains to be explored, studies of basement membranes in C. elegans
have been highly informative and hold great promise for improving our
understanding of how these structures are assembled and how they function in
development.
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